Ascension: Fallen Angels
by voice of morgoth
Summary: The twins have embraced their role as the vampiric masters of the world. Paradise has been watching.
1. Chapter 1

"Sister… what have you done?"

Thamiezel walks into the throne room from his morning stroll. He gulps at the sight of his sister's vile art.

"Dipper… I have improved it, don't you think?"

The throne room is now painted a dark shade of blue, and the glitter covering the room gives it the appearance of the night sky.

"Why? And how?"

"Why? Because this place is decrepit and boring. I grew tired of its dreariness. And how? Our world, despite falling into ruin, has kept its love for art."

"So you wandered into the human caverns… and took their glitter."

"No. Do you believe that only humans love art?"

"I do not care what these creatures value."

"You are so… grumpy. And isn't this better?"

"The color of my throne is part of my reputation. You believe I would be so feared if I painted my tower all pink and polka-dotted?"

"Only feared for your horrid taste, Dipper."

Thamiezel laughs as he approaches his sister.

"So tell me, Mabel, what else will you change?"

"I don't know. Come here, my bro-friend."

Thamiezel meets Zelestra, now a full-fledged vampire. He embraces her in this precious moment together, where they do not have to hide behind a veil of power and hate.

"Mabel… my Mabel."

"Brother… Dipper… I love you."

Thamiezel leans in and kisses his sister, running his hands along her pale back. He moves away, smiling into her eyes before he leans into her neck. He delicately tears in, drinking deep of Zelestra's vampiric blood. As he lifts his head back, Zelestra leans down and sinks her teeth into her brother's neck. The exchange of blood has developed as a show of trust and love between the two vampires. Zelestra parts and moves her head towards her brother's, cupping his face affectionately.

"You… are wonderful, Mabel."

"Thank you, Sir Dippingsauce."

Thamiezel smiles as the twins walk back to their shared throne.

"Brother… what now?"

"I have no idea. Hunt or wait."

"Hunting and waiting. How dull can eternity be?"

"So many years of waiting. Did you know the last great battle between Paradise and Inferno lasted only seven years? Hundreds of millions of years building up their armies and having them destroyed in a blink. How pointless."

"Indeed."

The twin rulers glare into the wasteland, not caring what has become of the Earth. Now they both know that there were worse fates than living amidst the ruined planet.

"Let us see what our goblin friends are doing." Zelestra says.

"The underground is slowly being abandoned. They are moving onto less damaged worlds. Perhaps we shall visit one of their little outposts."

"Let's go. I'm tired of this dead world."

Thamiezel and Zelestra step off their throne and head towards the balcony. Thamiezel rests his head on Zelestra's shoulder as the twins gaze out past the blanket of ash and look upon the stars.

"Which world shall we head to?" asks the vampire king.

"Don't know. Tell me about this universe. There is still much I don't know."

Thamiezel points to a small light in the sky.

"The world of the Xas. Capital of the Empire of the Sovereign Sun, the largest star in the universe. Their home world has become one large, endless city and their empire spans one thousand galaxies. They are ruled by immortal spirits that have reigned for five hundred million years. I do believe if they came against us our armies would be powerless."

Thamiezel points towards another star, closer and in their home galaxy.

"There. The colony of Zulserx. One of their own had discovered the Order of Dracul. He doomed his species' home planet. He fled through dimensions and leapt across worlds. And at last he came here, handing one of the most dangerous artifacts in existence to me. And I used it to free us from our shackles."

"What else is there?"

"Let us move a little to the right. Hoag's Object it was called by humanity. Millions of years ago it was called the Empire of the Great Zalhuur. A proud, arrogant species. That pride would cost them everything. Its name now is the Home of the Endless War. Their war started over a simple dispute of who would take the throne after the king died without an heir. Now it has gone on for nearly a billion years. The proud, arrogant culture has brought endless ruin to their galaxy. From our view, it shows a bright cluster of red giants in the nucleus, surrounded by a ring of blackness that is in turn surrounded by a ring of scattered stars. But in truth, the stars are nearly gone. Many were destroyed as a side effect of the endless fighting. The rest have been imprisoned in great spheres to have their powers harnessed. The natural planets are all dead, replaced by great machines to breed armies and weapons."

"And none have taken advantage of their weakness?"

"They haven't been invaded by greater powers because of how amusing they are. Like watching two colonies of ants fighting over a single apple when they can simply climb the apple tree together. It would be viewed as tasteless and rude to stop the entertainment."

"What is the farthest thing from us?"

"The galaxy of Esher-zal. We cannot see it from our world, but it's there. A fairly new galaxy made by the star weavers. Higher dimensional beings repopulating the universe to ensure the continuation of life."

"Whose side are they on?"

"Their own. They hold no allegiance to Inferno or Paradise."

Zelestra relaxes into her brother's arms.

"And all the stars are getting farther and farther away."

"Not entirely. Something has begun to force them back to where they were. Subtly manipulating the fabric of the cosmos to move everything back together. What they plan on doing then, I have no idea."

"Perhaps they will simply have a big party."

"That would be fun."

The twin rulers laugh together.

"I love you, Dipper."

Before the twins can leave for another world, a great presence enters the throne room. A shade of murky blood stands before the twins. Thamiezel walks forward and bows to Dracul, the Lord of the Order of the Dragon. Zelestra walks up and offers a handshake. The blood creature extends a murky appendage. Zelestra shakes her master's hand before stepping back.

"Your sister is strange."

"I do my best, my master." she says with a bow.

"What brings you to our little world?" Thamiezel asks.

"Word has reached the highest of the angels. Yaltabaoth will soon know that your sister has been taken from their realm."

"And… will they come against us?"

"If they discover Lucifer himself has aided you, they will attempt to discern your importance. And if they take you, you will not receive help from me."

"At least you're honest. My memories… what happens to them?"

"You will lose your knowledge of my order as your predecessor had. You and your sister will be taken by Paradise. And then they will imprison you."

"I assume they will attempt to torture the information from my mind before throwing me into Inferno while keeping my sister chained in their world."

"Yes."

"Well, I'd better not let that happen!" Thamiezel shouts cheerfully.

"If you desire to retreat, then I will oblige."

"… perhaps… but then again… this could be a great benefit to my sister and I."

"Brother, what are you thinking of?"

"Your family… we can bring them back."

Zelestra walks over, realizing the gamble her brother is beginning. She hugs him, holding him tight for wanting to risk the wrath of Paradise to rejoin with their family.

"You do not have to do this, Dipper."

"Mabel… I will tear down the foundations of Heaven for you."

Zelestra laughs lightly at her brother's vow of love. She places a warm hand on his face as she moves in for a kiss. They move apart and look towards their master.

"You desire to stay and fight?"

"Yes." the twins reply in unison.

"So be it. Once the angels come for you, I will not risk my discovery. Should they overpower you, then you will be taken."

"Understood, my master." Thamiezel says. Dracul vanishes from the universe, leaving Thamiezel and Zelestra alone.

"Where to begin, Sir Dipster?"

"We must first lure them out… they will not come against us in open war. They will send weaker angels to lead our enemies. The only problem is we currently have no enemies. Our last opponents have surrendered."

"Then let us choose another enemy."

Thamiezel looks towards the cosmos with his sister. He gazes, thinking through the hundreds of planets that might offer a suitable opponent. He settles on a star at the other edge of the galaxy.

"There… Esylios. They pride themselves on their purity. But they are not very powerful themselves. Fundamentalist animals obsessed with cleansing sin. They have turned away from gazing out into the stars. They are oblivious to our existence. Our armies could destroy them if not for the loss of life and the pointlessness of a war with them. But they are easily malleable by Paradise. If we go to war against Esylios, then Heaven will surely side with them."

"Perfect, my brother."

Thamiezel and Zelestra leave their throne room. The twins descend the spiral stairs leading down from the top of the tower. They walk past a court of their servants, filled with several vampires, goblins, and lesser demons who have left Inferno to ally with Thamiezel. The twins continue their descent down the great tower. Sounds of frantic movement and laughter echo upwards into the spiral staircase.

"I wonder what our little servants are doing, sister."

"I believe I hear the sounds of a party. I love parties."

"My sister, we are supposed to be the masters here."

"And what better way to maintain morale than drinking 'til our minds are broken and woozy."

Thamiezel laughs at his sister's humor as they approach the room. Zelestra finds several vampires and goblins throwing a birthday party. The twins walk in, and the sounds of chatter go silent. Several unaware vampire children fly around the room. One lands near the vampiric rulers' feet and looks up. She sticks her tongue out at the ancient king, not knowing who he is as he has not come to the lower circles of the tower in more than a century. The vampire's mother gasps and goes to retrieve her child. Zelestra kneels and smiles at the young vampire.

"Hello." Zelestra says.

"Who are you?"

"Zelestra."

"Your name is funny."

"It is, isn't it?"

"And who's the grumpy man?"

The vampire's mother runs up and yanks her child back towards the table. Zelestra and her brother continue walking into the room. Thamiezel's dark armor changes shape into a black tuxedo with a white undershirt and a black bowtie. He walks over with his sister and takes a seat across from the young vampire and her mother.

"Hello. And whose birthday is it today?"

"Mine."

"Well then, happy birthday… uh, I never had your name."

"Arella."

"A beautiful name, that is."

"And who are you, grumpy man?"

"… It does not matter. This is a day for celebrations, Arella."

"Every name matters."

"Then, for now, call me… George."

The little vampire giggles as she turns towards the goblin at the other table; the lonely, grumpy goblin looks away from the vampire child.

"Georgey! His name is Georgey, too!"

The child laughs at the goblin's name. Thamiezel smirks as he takes a glass of blood in his hands.

"To Arella. May you have many years of unlife."

He drinks the glass of blood and sets it down. Zelestra takes one of her own and drinks her fill. The party seems to regain its life in the presence of Thamiezel. Several older vampires stand from their tables and begin to walk away. Thamiezel, not wishing to ruin the party, moves away from the table and halts the vampires' attempts to leave.

"Come now. I'm not angry with you, and I am not going to harm you. It is a time for celebration and joy."

Thamiezel's words ease some of the vampires. The others become too afraid to leave the party against Thamiezel's wishes. Thamiezel returns to his sister and joins hands with hers. They sit as a large chocolate cake soaked with blood is brought before Arella.

"Blood cake. Wonderful!" Zelestra says happily.

"Of course. One of the best inventions ever."

"That and pancakes with blood syrup, Thamiezel."

Zelestra leans her head on her brother's shoulder, and the mad king rests his head on hers.

"Soon… soon we will have our family again." Thamiezel whispers.

Thamiezel feels a ceramic plate thrown at the back of his head. He turns around to see a group of mischievous goblin children snickering at him. The room goes silent with dread before Thamiezel returns his attention to the table. He ignores another plate thrown at his head in favor of seeing Arella's family sing. Zelestra helps sing happy birthday while Thamiezel simply watches, attempting to maintain the charade of the callous demon king. Yet he smiles warmly as Zelestra gives Arella her slice of cake. He and Zelestra help pass around the other slices. Once everyone has their dessert, Zelestra returns to her brother's embrace. Thamiezel kisses the top of her head as he continues to watch the party. He smiles warmly at the sight of Arella and her friends, oblivious to the madness of the outer universe.

"I hope our little game does not hurt them." Zelestra says.

"I do too… but… I do not know how long it will be until the final war."

"If there is another way, then I hope we can take it."

"Perhaps."

Arella's mother approaches the table before the two rulers. She sits down, prepared to apologize for her daughter's earlier behavior.

"I… I am sorry for my daughter's rudeness."

"There is nothing to be sorry for. She is wonderful. I hope she has many years of life with the ones she loves." Zelestra says.

"Thank you."

"What is your name?"

"Felicia."

The vampire's mother yawns, exhausted from a long day with the children.

"So… when were you changed?" Zelestra asks.

"Oh… my parents were both vampires. I was never turned."

"How long does your vampiric lineage go back?"

"The first turn?... I know my great great grandfather was a human. His wife was born a vampire. A powerful member of the aristocracy. She fell in love with him and he agreed to become a vampire."

"That's sweet. Where are they?"

"They moved to Zelestra Planet Four a while ago."

Zelestra giggles at her brother's strange show of love. He had several of their worlds named after her once she chose her vampiric name. He hides his face in his palm, embarrassed.

"You are adorable, Thamiezel." Zelestra says

"You are doing this on purpose, aren't you?"

"Of course." Zelestra says as she smiles, showing her sharp vampire teeth. Felicia takes notice of the twins' uncommon fangs.

"It's strange. Most of the human vampires have only two or four fangs. Yet both of your mouths are filled with fangs. Like razors."

"Yes… we are not typical vampires." Thamiezel says.

"If I may ask… when did you turn?"

"It was… a long time ago."

"Alright. I won't trouble you… and thank you, for saving our people."

"It was what I needed to do."

"You… you are kinder than my mother and father have said."

"What did they say?" Thamiezel asks with a smirk.

"Well… they called you mad. Said you caused more harm than good."

"Yes… there was a time when I was driven by fury and madness… it is why I obey Zelestra now. She is far better suited for being the ruler here."

"You… you did do those things?"

"My friend… there are far worse fates than death. Take the tale of the twins. They walked their path since their beginning. Their friendship grew to something stronger than any bond between others as they fought monsters and battled mad spirits. They were chained together as one. But they angered an ancient god. For their defiance, it cursed them. One was fated to die, and the other was doomed to walk the Earth alone and invisible. He watched as all those he loved died, one by one, until only she remained. The one he loved above all else. He begged her to stay with him. To become an immortal like him… but she would not part with her family beyond the veil of death. And she left him, hoping that Paradise would allow him to pass the gates… but the gates were barred to him."

"What… is that how it ends?"

"No… the immortal that sacrificed everything to save the world was bound as an eternal slave. Cursed to continue his sacrifice again and again as anyone he came to love succumbed to sickness and death. He was thrown into the gauntlet against countless creatures so that mankind could continue. He battled spirits and vampires and dwellers in the night… But he grew to hate those he served. The species that never learned. They ruined their own world and continued to throw their children into bloody wars as their decrepit, old fathers watched and waved with a smile… This was his fate… the lone immortal. Can you imagine it? As if you were the only vampire and all others were mortal… Forced to watch the world change and mutate while you were never given the gift of death, nor even allowed the peace of sleep. Feeling every minute pass as if it were your first."

"That's… that's horrible, but at least it's simply a tale."

"The tale does not end there. The immortal traveler could not enjoy the bliss of Paradise. He would not be freed no matter how many times he served the realm of light… So the immortal decided that if the Heavens were to let this curse go unhealed, then he would in turn curse the Heavens. He swore an oath of vengeance against the realm of light and its masters. He would do all in his power to tear them down, no matter the cost to the cosmos."

"I take it he did not succeed."

"Not yet."

Thamiezel watches as Arella's mother thinks over the tale. Her lips part with the realization that he was the boy in the tale. The one who curses the gods and plans their downfall.

"I… I am sorry…" she says. She looks over the two rulers and realizes that he has found his other after so long.

"I… I hope that your pain is healed."

"Thank you." Thamiezel says weakly. Zelestra holds him close, squeezing him with her inhuman strength.

"If I were still mortal, you would have crushed my spine by now, Zelestra."

Zelestra chuckles as Thamiezel relaxes, closing his eyes. Felicia looks towards Zelestra.

"Your… your family… do they still remain above, my queen?"

"Yes… yes, they do… how powerful is your mind?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your thoughts… are you like us? Can you prevent others from seeing your memories?"

"Yes… my family trains us from a young age."

Thamiezel opens his eyes and attempts to penetrate Felicia's mind. He desires to discern the strength of her thoughts. She feels his gaze and presses against it. He continues to force his mind upon the vampire, and her mind in turn rebels against him. Thamiezel finds that she can halt his greatest attempts at invading her thoughts.

"My king… your mind is powerful… but like I said, I cannot be broken easily."

"Indeed… there are few amongst our species with that strength. Many would have broken the second I laid my eyes upon them… we ask because the secrecy of our mission is of most importance… perhaps you will be a valuable asset, even though you are not a powerful fighter."

"What do you need?"

"Nothing yet… but our goal… the bloodline of our family brought from the Heavens."

"How? They would see your dark presence the moment you stepped within."

"That is why… they will bring them to us… a little game that will return our family. They won't have any idea what we have planned until it is too late… I vowed we will see them again…"

"And we shall, my brother…"

"_I will bring them here again… Zelestra will have her family again…"_

Thamiezel feels the air in the room change. He twirls his head around like an owl and catches another plate in his mouth. He chomps down and devours the jagged pieces of the ceramic plate while staring unblinkingly at the goblin child that threw it at him. He grins, showing his bloody, torn up mouth and reddened fangs. Thamiezel giggles before turning his head back.

"No manners." Thamiezel mutters.

"They just want to have fun with the grumpy demon king."

"Well then… perhaps we should play a little game with them." Thamiezel whispers, his tone on the edge of menace and mischief.

"No scaring the children, brother."

"Fine, I'll just… get their parents to scold them later."

Zelestra and Felicia snicker at the demon king, denied his games of terrifying the young children.

Long after the party, Thamiezel and Zelestra return to their throne room. Thamiezel watches as a large dragon approaches the tower. Thamiezel walks forward and meets with the entity.

"My masters, humanity has sent out ten thousand soldiers. They are powerless to harm us, but they may pose as an annoyance."

"Ignore them… we have more pressing matters to attend to. The empire of Esylios has taken over one hundred planets. And they dwell within our own galaxy. And they dress stupid. I do not wish to deal with them for a second longer."

"We… are we to go to war with them?"

"Yes. Send a message to all our worlds closest to their little empire. We will begin building up our armies. I want every powerful vampire, goblin, demon, and dragon ready to push them back. We will end their little threat before it begins. The armies will meet on Cul-Cerberon."

"Yes, my masters."

"And prepare a shuttle for us as soon as possible."

"You… _you_ will join in battle?"

"Yes… it has been a while since I have entered the fray. I need to practice. And I am quite bored."

"Very well."

Thamiezel and his sister wait in the throne room. As the hour passes by, several hundred warships begin taking off. The jagged, sleek black metal is contrasted by the ethereal yellow glow from within the heart of the ships. It appears as a rib-cage surrounding a yellow, radiant furnace. One of the ships pulls up to the tower. Thamiezel and his sister board the vessel. Zelestra walks with a cold, stern gaze. Her smile has been replaced by callousness as the twins come in and sit with a legion of goblins. Thamiezel bares his teeth like a mad shark, ready for battle and carnage. He hears the thoughts of his goblin servants, annoyed at being dragged into battle. Others hope that they will survive the onslaught to see their families again. Several curse the name of their insane king for bringing another war upon them. Thamiezel and his sister glare at the goblin forces, unsettling many of them with their gaze. The dissenting thoughts go silent in fear of their king and queen.

The powerful vessel carves a hole in the fabric of space around the ship, appearing as an orb of fire. The ship removes itself from the universe and reappears in orbit above Cul-Cerberon. Within the hour, the entirety of the fleet has arrived above the world. Thamiezel's forces begin landing on the surface of the planet. Thamiezel and Zelestra step off the ship. Zelestra walks barefoot, taking in the texture of the strange world and curling her toes in the dirt. She breathes deep of the air; it is similar to Earth's air, yet heavier. Lush green forests cover the globe, save for the five cities of Thamiezel's forces. Within the center of each city lies a massive tower, built in the image of Thamiezel's fortress on Earth.

"This… is a wonderful planet." Zelestra says.

Thamiezel and Zelestra move towards the citadel as great shadows. They dwell within the dark tower, waiting for the rest of their forces to arrive. The sky is covered in warships and dragons, preparing to go to war at the whims of their insane king.

"So many ships. Do you think we need them all?" Zelestra asks.

"I doubt it."

The goblins and vampires begin preparing to go to battle. They come from all corners of Thamiezel's empire. Some have seen battle before. Goblins with mechanical arms and legs lead the younger soldiers. Vampires with lost limbs leaking a dark aura that can lash out like a whip walk amongst the legions of monsters. Thamiezel's generals come towards the tower once their armies are assembled. The generals come before their rulers and bow.

"My masters. We are ready. The weakest Esylion world is located in the outer rims of their empire, near Zelestra Planet Fourteen."

"Where are their armies located?" Zelestra asks.

"The great churches are located at the center of the four cities. The armies are all soldiers of the church, and they are based around the defense of the churches. If we destroy them first, the rest of them will be aimless."

"Thamiezel and I will strike one of the cities. When the rest of their armies come to defend against us, you will strike the undefended cities. Destroy any who stand against you. This world will be ours by the day's end."

"Understood."

Thamiezel and his sister return to their ground forces. They walk past countless monsters, who stand ready before their rulers. The powerful vampires enter one of the smaller ships and seal the door.

"Do you know how to fly this thing, brother?"

"Utterly no clue. I assume this button starts it." Thamiezel says while pressing a large red button named "start." The ship spurs to life and begins hovering in the air. Thamiezel looks at the controls for the ship.

"I wonder if they keep, like, a manual anywhere."

Thamiezel looks through the ship's compartments as Zelestra grows bored. She impatiently taps her fingers and toes while Thamiezel begins looking at the buttons.

"Why don't we just have one of the goblins fly us there?" Zelestra asks.

"I am not asking for help after pretending to know what I was doing. It's bad for morale."

"Then let me have a look, you crazy lunatic." Zelestra says. She looks over the controls and presses a button. A screen descends and begins showing a news program of the various events occurring in Thamiezel's empire. After pressing the button again the screen returns to the ceiling. Zelestra grows impatient and shoots a dark tentacle into the machine. The ship sparks and shoots out electricity as Zelestra takes command of the ship like a puppet.

"So I guess you're flying this thing." Thamiezel says with an amused smirk as Zelestra forces the machine to do her bidding.

Zelestra uses her powers to take the ship into the air, weaving from side to side chaotically. The ship leaves the atmosphere with the rest of the fleet. Zelestra activates the engines, and the fleet travels through the folds of space. They appear above the target planet. The world is covered in blue, alien forests, save for the four sprawling cities where the Esylions live. Massive walls cut off the shining white cities from the wonders of the forests, which are considered sinful by the alien species. At the center of each city sits a massive church.

Thamiezel and Zelestra abandon the ship above the world while their forces wait for the battle to begin. The vampires travel as shapeless spirits down to the planet. They travel within the shadows, coming to a stop before the great church. The large cathedral could easily pass as a mountain, allowing billions of worshipers to not only pray within, but to live there as they attempt to cleanse their life of sin. Yet what is disconcerting to Zelestra is the sameness of everything. The countless buildings are all plain, white, and symmetrical. There is no design, nor semblance of creativity. There is no writing to be found on any of the homes, save for the prayers and hymns, nor any images or pictures or decorations. It is simply lifeless.

Thamiezel and Zelestra move unseen with the shadows of an Esylion. The species is lizard-like and pale skinned, with red mouths and hollow, white eyes. They dress in blindingly white robes, plain and lacking texture, except for words of blessing from Paradise weaved into the fabric.

"_These aliens are extremely dull, my brother." _

"_Dull? No, we just haven't seen the fun part yet."_

Thamiezel and Zelestra travel unseen into one section of the large church. They watch as a priest stands above his congregation, speaking peacefully of the glory of God and the beauty of Heaven. Zelestra watches the priest, becoming almost mesmerized by his words. Thamiezel and Zelestra clad themselves in the forms of Esylions. They approach the service and sit down amongst the mass. Zelestra listens as they sing hymns to the realm of light, offering prayers and blessings to their god. But Zelestra soon discovers the seeds of insanity underneath. The priest looks to his right as several guards walk in, dragging a prisoner. The prisoner is smaller than the others. Zelestra feels anger in her heart as the child is dragged before the priest. The child slobbers from its mouth as Zelestra looks on.

"_It drools like a dog, Thamiezel."_

"_Drool? No… no, that is not slobber. Notice the eyes of the Esylions. They are more like orbs protected by glass than the squishy, delicious eyes of man. But there are always signs when a creature is sad. Or scared beyond all measure."_

"_It's… it's crying."_

The Esylion begins speaking in its native tongue. But Thamiezel has studied their language before. He enters his sister's mind and allows her to hear what the Esylion priest is saying.

"_This creature has desired to partake in sin. He has attempted to taste the flesh and air of the forests, polluting his mind to the beauty of God. His sin must be cleansed."_

Zelestra turns towards her brother with a worried gaze. He stares blankly, watching the mad events about to unfold.

"_For this sin, we must burn it out."_

What unnerves Zelestra the most isn't the chained prisoner shrieking and fighting against his shackles, or the threats of torture, or even the instruments brought out to be used on the prisoner. It is the calmness with which the priest speaks. Speaking not with malice, but a serene, almost emotionless voice. Zelestra watches as the priest takes one of the implements of torture. A lone blade with holy writing on it is brought out as the prisoner attempts to flee. He is held in place as the blade begins glowing green. The blade is brought to the prisoner as his tongue is held out.

"_Your tongue is the instrument of your sin. It will be cleansed."_

Before the torment can continue, loud clapping echoes through the large room. Zelestra turns to find her brother gone. He stands at the open doorway. His form has changed. He is clad in the ceremonial robes of the rest of the species, but the white cloth is instead dark as night. The holy writing is replaced by hexes and curses against the light, speaking of the glory of the demon lords and the might of Hell. He allows his vampiric eyes to glow with unholy malice, glaring into the minds of any who meet his gaze. He swings a long, wooden cane with the image of a vicious gargoyle head on the top, horned and fanged with an open mouth ready to consume its prey. Zelestra would have smirked at the top hat on her brother's head if not for the insanity occurring in the church.

"Who desecrates our holy church with this sinful madness?" the priest asks.

"I am Thamiezel. I am here to show this tiny world the folly of its ways."

Thamiezel continues his approach towards the stage. He stares up at an orb representing the spheres of Heaven. He breathes small flames from his nose and mouth as he circles around the mass of worshipers, keeping his eye on the priest. He walks up the stairs, past the prisoner, and approaches the minister.

"You would dare show yourself in this holiest of places? Your sin will be cleansed."

"Sin… hold back your tongue, and I will speak to you of the meaning of sin… and the oppression of ages… cursed was I… forced to endure long years of life as all changed around me… and your defective god did nothing… a god obsessed with cleansing sin, oblivious to the greatest sin that lies within his heart. Tell me… what lies have you told your slaves to convince them that this world's suffering is just?"

"You would dare stand before the gates of Paradise? And insult the will of the divine creator?!"

"Anger… so much hilarious anger. Pathetic. Defective, little god. That is not the creator you worship. It is a deluded madman with the power to move the stars. Nothing more."

"You will be banished to Hell for your blasphemy."

"There is no judgment from above. If there be a light in Paradise gazing upon me, then may it strike down my cursed flesh!"

Thamiezel shouts at the heavens, goading a response from those in the realm of light. He smiles as no punishment comes from above.

"Can you see… your god has discarded you. Thrown you aside."

"Kill him."

The guards let go of their prisoner and attempt to assault Thamiezel. Zelestra stands and charges at the guards. Her body changes shape, appearing as a flurry of crimson, razor-sharp knives as she carves up her enemies. The congregation stands with a panic and begins to flee. Zelestra reforms into her vampiric body, having devoured the guards.

"Well now, that was fun."

"How's the flavor, sis?"

"Dull. Their skin is tasteless, their minds silent and mechanical, and their souls stale."

"Allow me to have a taste."

Thamiezel flies on clouds of darkness as he approaches the priest, who stands frozen in fear. Thamiezel's mouth cracks open and a long, crimson tongue comes out. Thamiezel licks the face of the vicar before he attempts to flee. Thamiezel's tongue flies and wraps around the priest's neck. The vampiric monster smiles with cruel joy as the priest is dragged back, choking and grasping. The scaled skin on the Esylion pulsates and opens to allow air in, but Thamiezel's dark powers move as a cloud of mist surrounding the priest. The mist seeps into the skin of the reptilian, blocking the passage of air and suffocating the Esylion. Thamiezel and Zelestra watch with sadistic pleasure as the cleric flails about. Within a minute he is dead. Thamiezel devours the lifeless body of the creature, allowing his soul to flee.

"How… lifeless… and pointless. It seems we will not enjoy this meal."

"How come you let his soul flee?"

"So he can deliver a message to the realm above."

Thamiezel and Zelestra change shape again. Gusts of wind and crimson clouds shoot out from their bodies. The clouds of blood begin to grow in strength as armed soldiers come into the church. Thamiezel topples the orb of Heaven and throws it to the ground. The twin demons charge at their enemies as a swarm, drowning and crushing the Esylion soldiers into small pieces and devouring them, adding their souls and power to their own. The twins begin to grow in size as they burst from the windows of the church. They fly through the streets, consuming all in their path. Alarms begin blaring as thousands of Esylions attempt to flee the dark menace. The cloud of blackness grows as it moves through the streets. The shadowy force rises up into the sky and comes barreling down upon miles of the city like a gigantic wave. They consume all life they find. Civilians and soldiers. Young and old. They leave nothing left to fight against them as they pour through doors, windows, and cracks in the walls.

But the twins' attack is not as random as it appears. Their path of death and ruin brings them in a circle around the church. They come to a large field of gigantic war machines and ships built to transport soldiers. The twins dismantle the enemy's machines of battle, corroding the metal and turning it into toxic fumes. They continue their assault upon the miles of barracks, destroying the army before it has a chance to fully mobilize. The twins complete their circle around the massive church. They then begin to move into the mountainous building, destroying all in their path. They move down into the deepest pits and up to the highest reaches of the tower. They find the last of the church, the high priest, kneeling and praying for divine intervention. The twins reform before the entity, floating in the air with large bat wings on their backs.

"How amusing, Zelestra."

"It thinks it's speaking to God. Cute."

The priest continues praying and ignores the twins' taunting. Thamiezel walks up to the creature and grabs ahold of the small trinket in his hand. The object is an image of the spheres of Heaven on a chain. Thamiezel jiggles the object in delight before throwing it out of a window. The priest continues to pray as his mouth becomes wet in fear.

"You. are. adorable." Thamiezel says as he walks his fingers along the forehead of the priest. Thamiezel opens his mouth, showing his jagged, razor teeth. He moves in and begins devouring the priest as his prayers turn into begging before going silent. Thamiezel stands and swallows the last piece of meat, licking the blood off his lips and slurping.

"He was slightly tastier than the others."

"It seems these churches are run by hypocrisy."

"Aren't all churches?"

The twins giggle madly as they watch the city turn into chaos.

The entire world's armies begin to assemble against the coming darkness. Giant, shining warships are brought forth from the three other cities to defend against the vampires. Thamiezel and Zelestra create dark mists that shoot out of the top of the tower. Bolts of electricity shoot across the mass of smoke and down to the surface as their power builds. The twins' energy continues growing until it is a monstrous storm cloud that blots out the sun, firing lightning like a weapon against any remaining Esylions. The twins' also attack the ships coming against them. The Esylions' connection to the divine is not entirely false. Their weapons fire beams of light blessed with angelic powers. The energy pierces the dark clouds and damages the twins, but the small weapons are not enough to pose a threat.

The twins unleash a barrage of lightning and dark fire upon their attackers. They pierce through the exterior of the battleships and begin devouring all inside. Many of the ships fall, crashing into hundreds of buildings and exploding. The fires of the ruined ships begin to spread across the city.

"_I almost pity them. This is far too easy, Thamiezel."_

"_Like shooting monkeys in a bowl. Or however the old saying went."_

Far above the world, the unholy army, which had remained hidden, sees their enemies abandoning the three other cities. They begin landing in the undefended regions, leveling buildings and killing the weakened defenders. They destroy all of the weaponry that has been left unguarded, allowing the armies of Thamiezel to take hold of the cities.

"_Oh dear, I believe they fell for our little ruse, sis."_

"_That's a big oops for them."_

Thamiezel and Zelestra watch as their enemies attempt to split their remaining forces in two. Thamiezel and Zelestra move against the rest of the fleet. Thousands of massive ships are crushed between the twins and their armies. The Esylions are powerless against the combined forces, yet they fight to the last, goaded by their devotion.

"_I will give these maniacs something. They are quite stubborn, Thamiezel."_

"_Stubborn as madmen with a cause can be. Still, there's always a satisfaction to be had with the grunt work."_

"_Your love of slaughter is disturbing."_

"_I know you felt good when you destroyed those guards. When that priest gasped for breath in his thralls of agony."_

"_They deserved death. And much more."_

"_Come now. You're beginning to sound like an angel."_

"_Very funny."_

When the battle begins to die down, Zelestra and Thamiezel return to their human forms, stronger than before. They return to the top of the tower and look around the chambers of the high priest. The place has pictures of past rulers who have died and several strange weapons with engravings upon them. Thamiezel spots a key with blessed markings surrounding the plaque that holds it. The twins leave the tower and head for the deepest caverns. They look through the pits that were once filled with tortured prisoners, now devoured by the great vampires.

"What are we doing down here, brother?"

"I saw a strange box, or a chest when we were clearing this lower pit."

"And why did you not take it before?"

"We were busy."

Thamiezel finds the large chest. He stares curiously at the thing, as it does not have the writings obsessed with the beauty of Heaven on them, but instead describes the madness and torments of Hell. Zelestra looks around the room.

"What are you looking for, sister?"

"The key. Every chest worth a damn has a key."

"You don't need the key. You're a supreme vampire. Just vaporize the lock and be done with it."

"But it isn't the same without that clicking noise. And what if I find a key sometime later? Then I'll never know if it's the key that opens the lock."

"I thought I was the lunatic?"

"Rude."

"Sorry… I believe there was a key in the high priest's room."

"Go find it."

"I'm not leaving you."

"You are not a dog." Zelestra says, laughing lightly before turning to look at him. She sees the look in his eyes. That obsessive protection, knowing that he would not risk being away from her for even a second.

"My brother… I am not the weak vampire I started out as. Go fetch me my key."

"Very well. But if you are captured by angels while I'm away I won't be held responsible."

Thamiezel and Zelestra laugh as he leaves to go to the top of the giant church. He gets the key and returns to the dungeons to find his sister waiting for him, kicking her feet while sitting on a torture rack and holding the chest.

"Here's the key." Thamiezel says as he tosses it to his sister. She takes it and slides it into the lock. The low, clicking sound echoes through the room and Zelestra opens the box.

"I must admit. That is a wonderful sound."

Zelestra and Thamiezel look into the box. They see the reason for keeping the key stored far away. A black sword lies within. Glowing red markings are engrained on the sword and the inside of the box.

"This… this is not a holy sword… So what is a holy place doing with such a cursed weapon?" Zelestra says.

"This… the markings are in Tartarian."

"Language of tartar sauce?"

Thamiezel laughs as he picks the sword up. The blade seems to vibrate and hum within the hand of Thamiezel, as if the dark energy within it reacts to the presence of another evil.

"Language of Hell. This… this is not simply a blade. It is a gateway. To the eighth circle of Hell. The Malebolge. A madhouse run by the worst of the demons. This is a weapon that should never be used."

"Do you think… they have used it?" Zelestra asks with fear in her voice.

"… I do not know. Perhaps it is a punishment reserved for the worst sinners. These 'holier than thou' Esylions would have their enemies tortured forever. But from what I hear of the lower pits, that would actually be a very unwise decision. It is less of a torture pit and more of a conversion pit. Breaking them down as they come in so that when they come out their only thought is vengeance. Sound familiar?"

"I… I am sorry for what happened to you."

"Thank you… we should look through the other churches. Find any more of these tools and ensure they are never used again."

"Perhaps we will use them on their makers." Zelestra says fiercely.

"Anger… no, I would not even condemn Bill Cipher to that fate, no matter how tempting."

Zelestra walks over and embraces her brother, letting go of her anger.

"You… you are kinder than you think, my brother."

Thamiezel sets the blade back in its chest. The twins carry the weapon out to one of their ships. They head for the other towers, gathering the other three swords. Thamiezel and Zelestra then take to the streets to kill any remaining ground forces with their army.

Zelestra transforms into a gigantic, snarling werewolf. Thamiezel watches as she charges, killing anything that remains. Thamiezel stretches and cracks his bones as a large dragon chases several dozen Esylion soldiers down the street. The dragon breathes flames upon the Esylions, melting them into murky puddles. Thamiezel cringes in mock disgust at the sight as he walks up to the large beast.

"I take it you're having fun?" Thamiezel asks.

"It has been awhile since you have joined us in battle. What changed?"

"I now have a reason to fight again. It's as simple as that."

"We will soon take this planet as our own. The soldiers are nearly all dead and their weapons have been destroyed."

"Good, good."

Thamiezel looks up towards the heavens, hoping that someone is looking down at him.

"Your move." he says with a dark grin.

Once the planet is conquered, the remaining Esylions are taken prisoner. Large prison ships begin escorting them off world to various parts of Thamiezel's empire. Thamiezel has the dark blades destroyed before turning to the captured priests.

"I may have more mercy than you… but that does not extend to my servants."

Thamiezel looks towards several large demons and vampires.

"Do what you want with these new toys of yours. Just make sure you dispose of them by the end of the week."

Thamiezel and Zelestra watch as the priests are dragged away, begging for divine intervention and screaming curses at the dark king. His forces begin tearing down the buildings and mining the planet for precious materials. As the week goes by, Thamiezel's invasion force has embedded itself on the planet. Thamiezel and Zelestra sit on their temporary throne in the spire of the tallest church.

"So, my brother, what next?"

"Well, I had a thought beyond mindless invasion."

"What is that?"

"There are ninety-nine more worlds in this little empire of theirs. And each one probably has at least four of those cursed blades. Let us be done with them."

"Excellent."

Thamiezel and Zelestra begin their long and tedious work as their armies continue to press against the empire of Esylios. The twins move shapelessly through the empire of Esylios over the next several months, destroying most of the dark weapons used as torment and incurring the wrath of the empire's ruler.

The master of Esylios is a several thousand year old reptile-creature. He has found the gift of everlasting life in alchemy and has denied it to others by claiming they are unworthy. He meets in the council chambers with the capital's priests to discuss the invasion of their empire. And as he does, a beam of light comes down into the room. The Esylion council watches as four angelic beings step down from pure, white stairs. They glow with heavenly light, looking with hollow white eyes.

The music of the Spheres echoes down into the room as the priests bow before the angels.

"You have answered our prayers. Thank you!" the priest says.

"Rise. We have much to do."

The four angels begin preparations with the priests to destroy Thamiezel and ensure Zelestra is taken back to Paradise.

At the same time, Thamiezel and Zelestra sit with a court of their generals. Zelestra has begun decorating the dull buildings with a foray of colors and paintings. Her flare for art has not dwindled in the years, and she has spent the time obsessively painting over the holy runes with pictures that she knows displeases the Esylions most. Carnal love, vices great and small, and desecrations are painted in large murals for the defeated city to see.

In the throne room, Zelestra has one of the enslaved priests bring her a glass of blood, balancing it precariously on his head as a vampire prepares to whip him should he drop it. She fully enjoys belittling the holy priests.

"That is delicious." Zelestra says after she gulps it down. Thamiezel chugs a cup of blood mixed from various species. He allows the blood to run down his chin and neck like a mad animal.

"You know, Thamiezel, just because we are vampires does not mean we have to abandon our manners."

"Manners are for the young and nimble. I am old and cranky."

Zelestra laughs at her brother as the priest glowers at her, eyes filled with malice for the desecration of its home. Thamiezel glares at the priest and bears down on his mind. The priest cowers and falls before the king.

"You know, maybe I should have kept one of those hell swords. The Malebolge would torture a sinner for a couple of months. Maybe years if they were resilient or rude or fun to toy with. But you? A holy priest of Paradise? They would _love_ to get their hands on one of you. How long can your mind withstand the furnaces of the eighth circle?"

The priest crawls away as his mouth becomes wet with fear and sadness. Thamiezel returns to his throne as another vampire enters the room.

"My masters. Our scouts report back from the Esylion worlds. The Esylion ships are gathering around the home world. Many of the other planets' populations are fleeing to the inner circle of the empire. The outer worlds are weak."

Thamiezel thinks over the information before speaking.

"Keep most of our armies centered here. I want to be ready to invade the planets near the home world."

"Yes, my masters."

The vampire leaves, kicking the priest in the chest before she does.

"This… I wonder, sister… they seemed to have no sense of direction before. Even as we came down upon their worlds, they cared more for praying us away than thinking. They were more interested in butchery than battle. But this little strategy seems beyond them."

"So, maybe they are learning."

"Or… Paradise has sent someone against us. A shepherd to lead the herd of imbeciles."

Zelestra smiles with mad glee.

"So, my brother, what next?"

"We wait… or perhaps we lure them out…"

"Another battle?"

"Indeed."

"But not today. I want to… indulge."

"Your love of partying has not changed in the slightest."

"Neither your love of being adorable while trying to be creepy and menacing."

"Shut up." Thamiezel says with a smile.

"My brother. This will be a day of fun."

"Fun in the sun."

Thamiezel and Zelestra step off their throne. Thamiezel glares into the lowly Esylion slave one last time as the twins leave. They come down to the city where their forces stay. They join up with a camp of vampires who are taste testing the captured Esylion priests.

"They taste so dull and plain." one says.

"I know. There isn't anything special about them. Why in the name of the Orudrum would Thamiezel want these deluded scum?"

"Using a goblin curse? There's no reason you can't say fuck or shit." Zelestra says as she comes in.

"Oh, uh, I did not see you there, my lady." the vampire says in a frightful voice. The other vampires turn around to bow to their queen.

"Come now. There's no reason to be afraid. My brother is the angry one, not me."

"And where is he?"

Zelestra turns around to find her brother missing.

"He… was here a second ago."

Zelestra looks around for her brother's presence. But as she turns back she sees him sitting, holding the priests by their neck with dark, pulsating tentacles.

"What are you doing?" Zelestra asks. The rest of the vampires turn to see their king and jump back like frightened cats.

"These priests were prepared to strike you down as you turned your backs. They had fashioned small daggers from rock."

"Impolite." Zelestra says. She steps forward and glares at the priests, who are snarling and glaring with anger at the vampires.

"Brother, would you kindly dispose of them?"

Thamiezel crushes the priests' necks and absorbs their bodies.

"Never turn your back to a creature who thinks God is on its side." Thamiezel says.

"They are stubborn and mad, aren't they brother?"

Thamiezel returns to his sister's side. The twins walk out to join with the vampires at a party. They walk into one of the large chambers of the great church meant for holding mass. The stone benches have been broken and tossed aside to make room for several large tables. Zelestra personally helps design the room, flying with other vampires to color and paint several pictures on the walls and ceiling. Thamiezel snickers at the newly enslaved as they curse and whisper under their breath, helpless to stop the desecration of their city. Zelestra knocks down the temple's statues and sacred writings to make room for a large cloth with the words "Party Time" sewn onto the fabric. Thamiezel and Zelestra sit with a court of several of their generals. They watch as the absurd queen teases and pokes her brother playfully. What surprises them more is Thamiezel goes along with it. He allows the queen, a vampire that is still slightly weaker than him, to toy and tease him.

"Zelestra, why do you torment me so?" Thamiezel asks as she pokes his cheek.

"Because you. are. precious."

Thamiezel rolls his eyes as he drinks a large glass of blood. Zelestra sips from hers delicately as Thamiezel moves onto a large chunk of roasted meat.

"What is this creature?" Thamiezel asks.

"Elmerk." a werewolf says.

"Never heard of elmerk." Zelestra says.

"It's from Zelestra Planet Seven. Native species."

Thamiezel grabs several pieces of the food and devours it greedily.

"So brother, are there any theme park planets?"

"Not that I know of. Why?"

"Well, there are cold planets and hot planets. Light planets and dark planets. I figure something would have come along and made a gimmick planet that's just a big theme park."

"Not near our galaxy. The Empire of the Sovereign Sun may have one. But I do not believe they'd be willing to allow vampiric tyrants entry to their worlds."

"We aren't tyrants. We're just more fun than others."

Thamiezel laughs with his sister as an Esylion brings a large platter of drinks.

"Ooh, alcohol _and_ blood." Zelestra says happily.

"Thank you." Thamiezel says to the Esylion in her native tongue. The reptilian looks in confusion at the unexpected politeness, not knowing how to respond. Thamiezel simply smirks as the entity leaves.

"So, brother, why do these weirdos hate the forests?"

"I have often searched this universe for the truth… and I think I have discovered the hilarity behind this false creator… He distrusts those who seem to favor the natural, the instinctual. They remind him of his old… acquaintance. Many myths are the same on our worlds. Many things that were taken from old truths and mutated with the changing of language. There was one being called the Weaver of Life. An old entity. Before or After Yaltabaoth, I do not know. The times are different and their relationship is changed. But there is one similarity. The Weaver of Life, or Gaia, saw Yaltabaoth for what he was. Insane. She had their shared creations stand against him, wounding him in the process. So he comes to despise those who remind him of his utter failure."

"Is that true, my king?" one of the generals asks.

"Maybe, maybe not. Maybe it is simply propaganda invented by Hell. Most of the tales all involve some sort of humiliating act, like removing a vital body part. Castration or something else important to creating life. But you can't really castrate a powerful energy creature, can you?"

"Not that I know of."

"So Mama Nature cut his balls off… yes… that makes a surprising amount of sense." Zelestra says.

"It does, doesn't it?" Thamiezel replies.

"Which is why you should not anger me, brother."

"Your depravity is boundless, Zelestra."

The twins snicker together as an Esylion walks forth to take the empty trays. It stares at Zelestra, who is smiling and giggling as she teases and pokes her brother, and feels angry. It wants to punish her for her insolence, and it throws a glass of blood at her white dress. The circle of demons and vampires goes silent. Thamiezel giggles lightly as Zelestra stands up and faces the Esylion. What she does next she knows will tear the alien down farther. Her white dress turns dark and murky and returns to her body, revealing her naked form. She glares down the Esylion while revealing her beauty to all of the court. She sensually rubs her chest and her thighs, almost moaning in pleasure.

"Does my beauty anger you? Do you despise my wonderful body?"

The Esylion's eyes turn black with rage. Zelestra giggles as she sits down and ignores the alien slave.

"Zelestra, you are still nude."

"Free as a bird, for the air to bath my body and calm my senses."

The Esylion, despite the presence of several armed guards, attempts to attack the queen. She smiles and giggles as the creature is smashed against the ground and thrown about the room. Thamiezel smirks in amusement as the Esylion is choked and throttled.

"Bring him here." Thamiezel says.

The Esylion is brought before Thamiezel, and the dark king grins at the creature.

"Do you wish to know the meaning of suffering?" Thamiezel asks. He glares with vampiric hate into the mind of the Esylion, tearing down its psyche and reducing it to a quivering mess on the floor. The convulsing alien is dragged away as Thamiezel drinks another glass of blood.

"So, my masters, how much longer until we attack the inner circle of their empire?" one of the generals asks.

"Let's see… how many planets left?" Thamiezel asks.

"Forty total, but only the inner seven are heavily defended."

"Let's see... leave the weakened ones alone. If any activity is detected on them, then report to us. Tomorrow, we will surround one of the inner planets. But do not attack until we give the order."

"Yes, my masters."

Zelestra yawns as she stands up and walks away.

"I'm going for a walk. Coming, brother?"

"Yes. The moonlight is wonderful, isn't it?"

Thamiezel stands and walks with his sister out of the building, leaving the party behind. They walk around the abandoned city, as most of the Esylions have been taken away from their planet and scattered across the empire to prevent any uprising. The twins come across several vampires floating through the air.

"Uh, you're naked." one of them says to Zelestra.

"Yes. Your point being?"

"I… I don't know."

Zelestra snickers as the three other vampires float down and begin walking with the twins.

"So, who are you?" one asks the queen.

"Zelestra."

"Oh… sorry." the vampire says with fear.

"Don't worry. I enjoy the feeling of the air on my skin."

"And I enjoy the sight." Thamiezel says.

"Ooh, you cheesy pervert."

"So… what brings you three here?"

"We just wanted to look around the planet… it's all rather dull, though."

"They just haven't learned the wonders of art." Zelestra responds.

"I don't think they want to. Even in chains, their priests are vicious and animalistic. Not very bright, either."

"Well then, _we'll just have to break them_." Zelestra says with a sadistic edge in her voice.

"I doubt even a visit to the Nine Hells would cure them of their obsession."

"Maybe, maybe not."

"So what will you two do once the empire has fallen?"

"Have fun as the absolute unquestioned masters of this galaxy." Thamiezel responds.

"There's a lot more out there, though."

"Space… lots of it, but surprisingly not very valuable. The greater empires barely consider their worth in size. They're more interested in how many souls are randomly drifting through their worlds."

"It's all so absurd, isn't it?"

"It is. But if this little game is what will help us, then I will play it."

"I pray that the war never comes… those demon lords in the lower circles are kept in check… if a war occurs, then they might get free reign to torture the other circles of Hell… they'll get their hands on my parents."

"What happened to your parents?" Zelestra asks.

"… humans. They tortured them with starlight glass until my mother and father burned… so I killed them."

"I… am sorry for what's happened."

"Thank you."

One of the other vampires flies up to the air and looks at his friends.

"Come on, Thad. There's supposed to be a shooting gallery set up several blocks down. They're destroying all the holy texts."

"Well, I'll see you two later… you are different than what I expected."

"Goodbye." Thamiezel says. He watches as the three vampires fly away.

"So sister, are you trying to get your grumpy brother to be nicer to everyone?"

"Yes… is it working?"

"I have a reputation. I can't have vampires just walking up to me on the streets and asking for my autograph."

"You are sooo cute."

"And you are still naked."

"Then let us return to the tower, away from the eyes of others."

Thamiezel turns to Zelestra and wraps her in his arms.

"Yes." he whispers. The twins disappear into the church and return to their throne. They allow their lust to take control of their minds. Thamiezel kisses Zelestra deeply. He digs his long nails along her back, eliciting yelps of pleasure and pain together. His long suit disappears and he presses Zelestra against the wall, holding her to him as he sinks his fangs into her neck.

"You are rougher than before, brother."

Thamiezel removes his fangs and glares into Zelestra's eyes with lust. He smiles deviously before moving in to whisper in her ear.

"I believe I can sense an Esylion ship above our world… watching. Let's give them a show they won't soon forget."

"I see where your mind is going, brother. I think I like it."

Thamiezel forces his sister against the wall as they begin making love. He allows the full might of his lust to take control. He thrusts in deep and painfully. He chews into his sister's neck, drinking deep of her blood. She moans in pleasure and squeals in pain as Thamiezel allows his dark, demonic lust to drive him. He makes sure their bizarre lovemaking seems senseless and mad, showing him as having full control of the situation.

Far above the world, an angel watches, observing the vampiric twins.

"They are… I've seen enough. Let's go." the female angel says.

"Mom?" another says.

"We're going. Now."

The angels and their alien soldiers return to the Esylion home world. The two angels step off their ship and approach their leader. He stares with a stern gaze at the two angels.

"I told you to observe them. Why are you here so quickly?"

"They… they were making love… but…"

"What is it, Alice?"

"… He was hurting her. Like she was in pain… I didn't want to see any more."

"He… he's taken control of her mind, no doubt."

"… disgusting psycho… I'll kill him."

"Not yet… not yet… prepare the forces for defense. I suspect within several hours that Thamiezel will invade."

"Yes, my lord." Alice says with a bow. She walks with the other two angels away from their leader.

"So mother… how long do you think we'll be here?"

"No idea. Weeks, maybe a couple months."

"This place is… strange." the other angel says.

"Why don't you two go spread the word… I need to think a bit."

"Yes, mother." the angels say in unison. Alice sits down, keeping her thoughts to herself. Her doubts of Heaven's offerings begins to grow in absence of their realm's magic. How her sons, despite being as old and powerful as her, seem to still be children in mind, being kept oblivious and innocent to the universe around them. Alice Pines unsheathes her angelic blade and observes the weapon, anticipating her battle with the dreaded king.

"You… I'll make you regret everything…"

The next day, Thamiezel and Zelestra awaken from their night of vicious lovemaking. The room is covered in the blood of the twins, who tore and dug into each other like ravenous animals. They reabsorb their blood and heal their wounds before joining back up with their forces outside. The twins find another shuttle, but this time they find a goblin engineer to pilot the ship for them.

"My brother, what's the plan?"

"Capture the planet. Indulge in vice. Just fuck around until we get some angels to show up."

"And then what?"

"Rip and tear. Fill our bellies with angelic blood."

The goblin pilot takes off. The small ship comes into orbit around the Esylion world.

"At the end of the day, Zelestra Planet Fifteen will be ours." Thamiezel says.

"Already naming it after me? At least wait until the world is actually under our control."

Thamiezel and Zelestra jump from the ship and begin their descent to the planet. They barrel towards the world as a shapeless darkness. They crash through the windows of one of the great churches. The two vampires appear before the high priest, who stares in fear of the dark masters.

"Hello, my friend." Thamiezel says with a vile grin. Zelestra remains stern and silent, playing the role of the captive ensnared by her brother.

"You will not desecrate this holy sight."

"I already am. And I'm only just beginning. The only question now is… how would you like to die?"

"Death may take me, but the realm of light will save my soul."

"Don't say that. Lying is a sin."

Thamiezel shoots a dark tendril out of his back, coming around like a scorpion's tale and impaling the priest. He devours the creature and walks back to the broken window. The twins gaze out at the mass of enemy ships hovering around the planet. Thamiezel and Zelestra become shapeless specters. They rely on stealth, remaining invisible as they approach each warship. They leave a small sliver of power in each one. It is not enough to destroy the large warships, but it is powerful enough to take control. Far above, Alice Pines hovers, trying to keep her angelic mind focused on the twins. They are faster than any other vampire with their dark powers, passing between the ships in less than a second. But Alice Pines has trained with Paradise's soldiers, preparing over the millennium to battle against the might of Hell. She keeps her mind focused on the invisible twins as her leader stands next to her.

"Why are we waiting?" Alice asks.

"To discern their limits. To see how they fight, so that we may counteract them later."

Thamiezel and Zelestra finish their little game within the hour. Their little slivers of power left behind take control of the Esylion defenses. The alien forces are helpless as their weapons are piloted towards the ground. Thousands of warships crash into the planet, ruining the cities and causing countless deaths. Thamiezel and Zelestra reappear amidst the carnage and begin devouring the soldiers as they stumble out of the crashed ships and ruined buildings. The rest of Thamiezel's army comes into position around the planet and begins firing upon the world. As the remainder of the Esylion soldiers take to the streets, Thamiezel and Zelestra join with their armies. The mass slaughter continues as the angels watch from above. Thamiezel begins a dance with his sister during the madness. A way to entertain the twins and the angels watching from above.

"I've got no chains  
To force me down  
To hold me back  
To keep me bound!  
I had chains  
But now I'm free  
There are no chains on me!"

Thamiezel begins to waltz with Zelestra around the battlefield as dark tendrils shoot forth from his body, killing any Esylions that approach.

"Hi-ho the merry-oh  
It's the only way to be!  
I want this world to know  
It will bow to me!"

Thamiezel unleashes a wave of dark energy and slices an Esylion warship in half. The ship explodes, killing the Esylion soldiers near it.

"I've got no chains  
And I have fun  
I will answer to no one!  
They're all chained  
But as you see  
There are no chains on me!"

Thamiezel twirls in place as he unleashes whips and tentacles in a tornado of crimson power. Zelestra watches with a blank stare, but inside she's laughing at her brother's madness.

"You once had chains  
But now you're free  
To love me for eternity!  
And I promise to love you too  
I'll kill this world for you!"

"Alice… see if you can harm him."

"Yes."

Alice begins to descend to the planet. But she stops in place. Thamiezel looks upwards, staring into her soul as he continues to tap his feet. He knew that the angels were watching the entire time.

"Creepy bastard."

Alice races down to the planet. She crashes into the streets, sending large shockwaves which topples the hordes of Thamiezel's soldiers. Alice stands from the crater and walks forward, ready for war as she wields a powerful angelic blade. She stares at the dark lord and his apparent prisoner, ready to end the one who killed her and her children. Her malice glows brighter, bright enough to cause Thamiezel's soldiers to flee and those closest to her to be incinerated by the light. Thamiezel claps in amusement as he walks forward.

"You look familiar… have I killed you before?"

"Fuck you."

"I'll take that as a yes. I guess I'll have to do it again."

Thamiezel and Alice charge with lightning speed towards each other. Thamiezel ducks beneath a swing of Alice's weapon and attempts to pierce her body with his tendrils. Alice cuts them down, and Thamiezel finds that the blade is enough to harm him. The blood he could have retaken into his body burns into white mist on the ground. Thamiezel jumps away as Alice continues her assault, weaving and carving at the dark form. Thamiezel and Zelestra change into great shadows that flee across the ground. Alice stands as she watches them flee. But the vampires continue to move across the globe. They move up behind Alice and Thamiezel punches her, sending her flying past the battle and crashing through buildings.

"K.O." Thamiezel says with a dark grin. Alice returns with fire in her eyes, ignoring the rest of the battle in favor of focusing on Thamiezel. Thamiezel drags his sister in front of Alice, causing the angel to pause in place, not willing to harm the captive. Tendrils shoot forth from Thamiezel's mouth and begin stabbing through Alice's wings and body. She carves the blood away and comes against Thamiezel again. Thamiezel retrieves a dark sword from his body and holds it with his right hand. The two blades clash with thunder. Thamiezel moves away and swings his weapon, aiming to cut off the angel's head. Alice blocks his sword with her own. She forces his weapon down as Zelestra comes up behind Alice. Alice is caught by surprise, not expecting Zelestra to join in the battle. The vampire scratches and tears at the angel's body, who unleashes a barrier of light, sending Zelestra and Thamiezel back. Thamiezel returns to Zelestra's side to defend her. Alice unleashes the full power of her blade. She swings against the air, and a wave of light shoots forth. Thamiezel and Zelestra move under the wave as it carves its way through buildings and soldiers from both sides. The wave stretches out for miles before it dissipates, causing as much ruin as the vampires. Alice again attempts to use the weapon's power, but Thamiezel moves against her and attempts to strike her head with his sword. Alice holds the sword overhead and presses against Thamiezel.

"You are powerful. I'll give you that." Thamiezel says.

Alice continues to press forward, pushing her sword against Thamiezel. She begins flying upwards as she forces him back. Zelestra stays behind her brother for cover as he presses against Alice, matching her strength with equal power. But Thamiezel's weapon is not powerful enough to stand against the sword of Heaven. His dark blade shatters into hundreds of pieces. Thamiezel flies away before charging at Alice again. A cloud of crimson mist shoots forth from Thamiezel's body, blocking Alice's sight. She holds the sword defensively over her heart as she covers her wings around her body. But she receives no attack from the front. Thamiezel flies overhead and grabs her head, leaning in to sink his teeth into her neck.

"I've never tasted angel before. I wonder… will my blackened heart burn from your glory, or will you be consumed by my shadow?"

Alice swings her sword at the vampire's head. He moves away and faces her again. He presses his face against hers, kissing her deeply. Thamiezel catches her off guard, allowing his dark power to reach into her angelic body and begin corrupting it. She pushes him away as she coughs and falls to the ground, weakened.

"A kiss to die for." Thamiezel says. Alice shakes as her light fades.

"You fucking psycho… I won't let you get away with this!"

"Fifty two."

"Wh-what?"

"How many times I've heard that before. The second part, that is. I've heard 'fuck you' several hundred times."

Alice stands, lifting the angelic blade and preparing to kill the demon.

"Come now. Any more clichéd speech?"

Alice remains silent as she regains her strength.

"Is that the best Paradise can do? I had expected far better."

Thamiezel begins to turn around in boredom. He walks away, leaving Alice staring dumbfounded at the mad king. As she prepares to charge the undefended vampire, a dark tendril shoots forth from his back and penetrates her stomach, beginning to corrupt her angelic form. Her light begins to fade as murky smoke threads itself through her body, and her screams pierce the air. Before she can be completely destroyed, another angel slashes the dark tentacle. Thamiezel turns around to meet the second of the angels.

"You… are different." Thamiezel says with a hellish grin.

"You are the vampire, Thamiezel Dracula."

"And you are stating the obvious. But I've never seen your face before. Tell me, who are you?"

"Abraham Van Helsing."

"Did you hear that, sister? We are meeting with a legend… Bram Stoker based the novel on his own adventures with this man. Can I have an autograph?"

"What?"

"I must admit, I looked up to you before… well, before everything went to shit."

Abraham quickly regains control of his senses, realizing that the vampire is toying with him. A large dragon comes against the two angels, and Abraham turns around and swings his blade vertically. The dragon is cleaved in two by a wave of angelic power, and the body falls to the ground.

"He had several broods he cared for. I hope you're willing to pay for the funeral." Thamiezel says while continuing to smile.

"All things must die eventually."

"But no life dies forever."

Thamiezel gives a bow of respect to the angel, who attempts to use the moment to his advantage. He swings his blade at the vampire, who moves to the side with Zelestra.

"You are smart, Abraham. Not willing to indulge in little games."

Thamiezel lashes out against the two angels, but finds himself pushed back by Alice. The angels attempt to take Zelestra, but she stabs Alice in the chest with her hand and begins draining her energy. Abraham pushes back the vampires with a barrier of light that the twins cannot penetrate. The vampires flee back towards their great army as the Esylions are massacred.

"We must return to the ship. This battle is already lost." Abraham says.

Alice and Abraham return to the Esylion ship above and look back at their enemy. Thamiezel dances while watching them escape, singing victoriously.

"I've got no chains  
To force me down  
To hold me back  
To keep me bound!  
The flames of Hell  
Shall rise again  
Savor this peace  
Before the end!"

Thamiezel and Zelestra watch as the angels flee, abandoning the world to the vampires. The fighting goes on long into the night and the next day, and by the time the Esylions are completely subdued, the planet is in ruin. The cities have been leveled and reduced to rubble, the great churches torn down, and the forests burned to the ground. Thamiezel's army claims victory over the planet, but with great loss of life on both sides. However, Thamiezel's soldiers rise again as dread spirits, ready to serve their master a second time. Thamiezel sits with his sister on a stone bench, exhausted from the day of battle and the conflict with the angels.

"Brother, are you alright?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

"Those angels could harm you. Not many creatures can do that."

"I know… we have to find a way to lure out your family."

"But… they saw me attack them."

"All the better for our plan. They'll think you've been ensnared and your mind imprisoned by me. They think I am in control. I hope they come to believe that they can break the spell with your family."

"That would work. And we can trap them… but we may not be strong enough to challenge them ourselves."

"No… no we are not… but that does not mean we cannot find more power… something not even those angels can best."

"Is there any power like that in this universe?"

"Somewhere. An old legend or history long since forgotten. The only thing is how to find it… I have a large collection of information. A library of sorts."

"Where?"

"Up here." Thamiezel says while pointing to his head.

"The key is… getting my old and crusty mind to tie everything together."

"Maybe I could help. Do you have any records or something?"

"Some, but not much. Not unless you want to make a deal with some ancient mind demon."

"Nope. I've had enough of making deals with geometry shapes."

Thamiezel chuckles at his sister as she leans into him.

"I wonder where our little friend has gone?"

"I don't know, brother. I hope we never meet that little psycho again… after what he did to you."

"Thank you… for staying with me now."

"Like I'd ever return to that disgusting place. After they left you."

"Even if they let me in before… I doubt they would let our love become what it is now."

"They wouldn't. They'd blind us and control us. And then in a thousand years or so they'd go to war and everything would have been destroyed by… you know who."

"Yes. Yes, I know… I am glad to have you with me on this journey, sister… Mabel… I love you."

"I love you, Dipper… I really do."

"So, my sister, how do you like Zelestra Planet Fifteen?"

"Dull and everything's on fire. You should save the name for a better world."

"Alright. Zelestra Planet Fifteen, wherever you may be, we are coming for you." he says, shaking his fist at the sky. Zelestra laughs, relaxing a bit more after the tense battle.

"Well then, let's be off, Zelestra."

The twins begin their survey of the ruined planet. Thamiezel finds a burning building and jumps onto the fire. He sighs peacefully as the flames begin to sear into his nervous system.

"I always did think you were… smokin', bro."

"And you're hot as hell."

Zelestra jumps in and the twins giggle psychotically in the fire. Several vampires and werewolves stare in confusion at the twins as they pass by. Thamiezel and Zelestra wave at the passing soldiers as their bodies become cackling, crackling, and blackened skeletons, terrifying any that walk past. The twin skeletons step out of the fire and begin walking down the street, scaring many of their soldiers and the Esylion prisoners. A goblin soldier with a mechanical hand takes out a cigar and fumbles around for a lighter. Thamiezel walks over and extends his burning finger and lights the cigar.

"Uh, thanks?"

"You're welcome." the burning skull says as Zelestra walk over. The twins continue walking past confused and horrified onlookers until they find a small fountain near the church. They run over and jump in, extinguishing the flames. The twins emerge from the fountain, returned to their vampiric bodies.

"Nothing beats a cold swim after a round in the sauna." Zelestra says.

"So refreshing."

Thamiezel and Zelestra emerge naked from the fountain. Several female vampires look at Thamiezel and turn away in embarrassment.

"They know they want it." Zelestra says with a naughty grin.

The mad rulers restore their clothing. The twins then go to meet with their generals. Two goblins and three vampire sit around a table, waiting for their masters. The twins take their seats across from their servants.

"Hello again… where'd the other vampire go?" Thamiezel asks.

"He was killed in battle."

"That's no excuse for being late."

The spirit of the dead vampire flies through the window and approaches the table. Thamiezel uses his own blood to revive the creature.

"Is that better?" Thamiezel asks.

"Yes. Quite."

"Now then… battle plans."

"We could continue to push forward planet by planet."

"But I don't have enough power to revive every single one of you… what about an attack on the home world next? We've never been there."

"It's heavily defended and it won't fall easily."

"Well then… perhaps, we attack the home world anyway. But my sister and I will engage them first. Once we've destroyed a large part of their defense, the rest of you will come against them. Concentrate your fire on the Esylions first."

"And what should we do to the other planets?"

"Kill the priests and anyone who mentions how awesome their god is. And just generally blow everything up."

"Yes. It will be done."

"Now then. Where is the food?"

"The supplies haven't arrived yet."

"How annoying. Well, is there anything fun around?"

"Well, some of the werewolves are tossing the Esylion priests out of windows for amusement. They're located several miles above us in the church."

"Ooh, I like games." Zelestra says.

Thamiezel and his sister stand up. The twins return outside and look up. Sure enough, an Esylion goes flying through the air, landing somewhere amidst the ruined buildings and wreckage of the ships. Thamiezel and his sister fly up to join the werewolves, who are throwing the priests out of a large broken window.

"So, where are you aiming?" Zelestra asks one of the wolves.

"There are several jagged pieces of metal from one of their ships about twelve streets that way. And there's a ruined fountain about three streets over"

"Fascinating." Thamiezel says.

"And I… oh, I did not recognize you there, my master."

The werewolves turn and bow in the presence of their king. Zelestra walks up and scratches one behind the ear. The creature stares in surprise. It is annoyed by the demeaning act and the fact that he's letting out low purrs of pleasure.

"Sister, they aren't dogs."

"But you are just as adorable. Yes you are! Yes you are!"

The werewolf backs away slightly as Zelestra giggles. One of the captured priests is brought forward.

"So. We are aiming for the jagged metal or fountain, right?" Thamiezel says.

"That or the exploded engine."

"Ooh, nice and crispy."

Thamiezel grabs one of the priests by the neck. Thamiezel tilts his head like a curious dog at the reptilian creature.

"You have twenty seconds to convince me why I shouldn't throw you out the window."

"You… will be thrown into Hell for your evil…"

"Beep! Wrong answer." Thamiezel says before he tosses the creature out the window. The reptile is impaled upon the large, metal spire of the destroyed ship.

"An excellent throw." one of the werewolves says.

"Thank you."

Another Esylion is brought forward. Zelestra looks at the creature and presses her head against his.

"Tell me… how many have suffered for your obsession with perfection?"

The creature remains silent, so Zelestra throws it far away. The creature lands upon the broken body Thamiezel's first victim. The twins wait for the werewolves to take their shots.

"You know, I'm almost starting to feel bad for them." Zelestra says.

"This next one is a grand inquisitor. Their job was to cleanse the greater sins by flaying the skin off the sinners and removing the item of sin, usually the genitals or tongue or eyes."

"And now the guilt is gone!" Zelestra shouts as she grabs the inquisitor and throws him out the window. He lands in the fire of the engine and disintegrates after several seconds.

"It wasn't your turn, sis."

"Oh, apologizes." Zelestra says while bowing to the werewolves. Thamiezel grabs the next priest and holds his neck tightly.

"Same thing applies to you. Twenty seconds to convince me not to throw you."

"This… this evil will not go unpunished…"

Thamiezel sighs in aggravation as he throws the priest through the air, who smacks into a building before falling into the ruined fountain and drowning in the murky water. Zelestra skips her turn for her earlier mess up. The werewolves continue their dark game until only twenty priests remain. By now their bloodlust is satisfied and the creatures begin the last turn. Thamiezel grabs one priest and looks him in the eyes.

"You have twenty seconds to convince me not to throw you."

"I'm… sorry… please… I don't want to die."

Thamiezel lowers the priest and dusts him off.

"See, was that really so hard?"

The priest's mouth drools with sadness as he runs away in fear, past the judgmental gazes of his martyrdom obsessed peers.

Thamiezel stretches his back and cracks his wrists as the remaining priests are dragged away by several vampires. Zelestra yawns, revealing her razor sharp fangs, glistening in the red light of the burning city.

"Your teeth. They always look beautiful."

Zelestra smiles warmly as she cups her brother's face.

"Come now, my mad king. Let us return to the tower for the night."

"You know, we do not need to sleep. Our minds are perfectly aware."

"They are… but sleep brings peace and bliss. Maybe our thoughts will become less darkened by the next day."

Thamiezel and Zelestra return to the tower. They destroy the remains of the high priest's quarters and prepare for their slumber. The twins suspend themselves on pillars of blood, letting their minds drift into memories of less darkened times. But Thamiezel desires a way to destroy the angels. He returns to his own mind and begins searching through his thoughts and knowledge. He wanders through a great library with thousands of ancient texts and pictures from old civilizations. He walks through the section his mind has labeled "unanswered mysteries." The books and journals and artifacts all begin flying off the shelves and through the air, floating in a circle around Thamiezel.

"_What are you doing, brother?" _

Zelestra floats up and joins Thamiezel in the circle of images, joining her mind with his.

"_I thought you were asleep, sister?"_

"_I am. But I could feel your mind was elsewhere. So now I'm here."_

"_I'm looking for something. Something of great power."_

"_So many unsolved enigmas… probably never know the truth of any of them." _

Thamiezel creates a book out of blue flame.

"_What's that?"_

"_The journal that discovered him. Our master. Perhaps there is something in here."_

Thamiezel looks through the journal with his sister, flipping through the texts and images within.

"_What's that big, weird thing?"_ Zelestra asks while pointing to one image. The sketch is of a powerful machine mentioned in the thoughts of Nyarlathotep. The weapon was designed to be one of the deadliest creations in the cosmos. The image depicts several large pillars hovering in a circular fashion around a solid gold core.

"_Some ancient weapon. Nyarlathotep called it the celestial destroyer. A machine made of energy and metal with a self-sustaining core, sort of like a sun."_

"_Fascinating."_

"_Well, those aren't going to help us. Most are destroyed or have vanished. No idea where to even look for one."_

Thamiezel continues searching. He looks at several images describing powerful vampire species from old myths. Zelestra looks around the dream library, searching for something of importance. She finds several old texts from Earth, including the three journals from Gravity Falls. She begins searching through the journals, smiling warmly at the memories of her old life. She comes across the end of the third journal and feels her heart falter. She reads the last notes from her brother before he was cursed. Thamiezel continues hovering in the center, threading his mind through different notes and trying to discover something that could aid him.

"_Let's see, ancient pyramid of unholy power. No, that's just Bill Cipher before he was imprisoned the first time. Valzraukur. No, too powerful. If I find one it will probably kill me the second I wake it up. Ancient dragon described as encircling a planet. Most likely exaggerated from idiots who thought their island was the whole world. The hundred slayer. Boring, I can already do that. Ooh, ancient super weapon that could destroy planets. Oh, wait, that's my old sci-fi thing I wrote when I was ten. How'd that get mixed in here?"_

Thamiezel discards the old paper from his childhood as Zelestra comes back to him. She leans on his shoulder while watching him look through the information stored in his mind. She spots an image of a giant monster described as attempting to devour a star.

"_Big dragon. Could that help?" _

"_It's just some myth. Surprisingly a lot of worlds have myths about dragons."_

"_Probably just some common evolution."_

"_Most likely. Although the goblins are on several planets and they all came from one very old empire. Maybe dragons are the same."_

"_Doubt it. How could they pilot ships with their silly claws?"_

Thamiezel chuckles slightly as he lifts an old book up and dusts it off.

"_Why is there dust in your mind?"_

"_It's on things I haven't looked at in a while."_

"_So you don't… remember them?"_

"_No, I just like to keep my dream library accurate."_

"_You are very strange."_

"_Undeniably."_

Zelestra watches as her brother looks through the old book. It's filled with several pictures of monsters and demons from Victorian London.

"_Why are you looking through these?"_

"_To get a glimpse into how Abraham works. Every man has a guideline. Every soldier has a code. I want to know his."_

"_Well, I'll be looking around."_

Zelestra leaves her brother to study the previous cases from Abraham Helsing. She looks through the vast halls of the library as books fly back to their shelves and come off and float towards Thamiezel. She comes to the end of the library with an old section of books. She lifts them up and smirks at the dust on the ancient covers. The coating is thick with age, heavier than on any other text in the dream library. She opens the book and begins to feel her heart ache. She finds the images of her family. Her parents, her grandmother, and her husband and kids. She looks through the book of the family images and random memories of Thamiezel. She closes the book and takes a deep breath before going back towards the front of the library. She returns to Thamiezel's side and hugs him closely.

"_Browsing the family memories?"_ Thamiezel asks.

"_How'd you know?"_

"_It's my mind, remember?"_

"_Oh, yeah. Duh."_

"_It's been a while since I've seen them… I could feel the days. Even with my large mind I could feel myself forgetting things..."_

"_So you've got Alzheimer's, bro?"_

"_No… I chose to forget. Things I didn't want anymore."_

"_You… you forgot the names of my kids." _

"… _Yes… yes, I removed them from my memories. Figured one death was enough pain. I didn't need to remember the others I watched over. Even threw out the names of friends."_

"_I never did."_

"_Good… that's good. That's why this empire is yours… you are stronger than I was. You keep your heart focused in this cruel universe."_

"… _Mine?"_

Thamiezel turns around and faces his sister. His face is calm and serene.

"_You do not let your heart falter in the face of this darkness. You do not lose hope until your only thought is revenge. I serve you because you are my better."_

"_What?"_

Zelestra giggles at her brother's confession. He smiles weakly as he cups her face.

"_It's true… my Mabel… you are the Shooting Star… far more worthy than me."_

Zelestra cups her brother's cheeks and pulls him in, kissing him on the forehead.

"_You… are worth more than you say, you silly devil."_

Thamiezel and Zelestra move apart, allowing Thamiezel to focus on searching through his mind. They remain motionless for several hours as their minds join together, searching without rest for something they could use. But out of the twins' dreams, a vampire steps into the room. Thamiezel and Zelestra reawaken and look towards the vampire that has disturbed them.

"My masters, it is time for the invasion."

"Let's see… two angels, two vampire lords…" Zelestra says.

Thamiezel and Zelestra leave the captured tower with their vampire servant. The twins rejoin their army and step onto a ship, prepared for the invasion. The warships begin to take off for the Esylion home planet.

"This, my dear sister, will hopefully be the end of the war."

"When all of their empire is overthrown, it will be over."

"That's what I wanted to hear." Thamiezel says as he smiles sadistically. The ship comes into orbit around the Esylion home planet. Unlike the other worlds in the Esylion Empire, the home world has only one great city. The church is built taller than any other in the empire, clearly seen from space like a needle coming out of the planet's crust. The city extends around half of the planet, with the other being a great forest.

The Esylion defenses begin unleashing a barrage of firepower the moment Thamiezel's forces enter their atmosphere. The heavy attack power keeps most of Thamiezel's ships far away from the battle. The twin vampires descend from their ship, dodging and weaving past the near endless attacks as they fly to the surface of the planet. Their small forms are able to move past the heavier attacks as the Esylion warships begin rising to meet the armies of Thamiezel in battle. The twin vampires slam into the ground with a tidal wave of dark energy, leveling many of the Esylion forces and destroying their guns. They begin to spread out and consume all they encounter, enveloping miles within the ocean of blood that they have become. Thamiezel and Zelestra return to their human forms in the center of their carnage. No life exists for hundreds of miles, allowing Thamiezel and Zelestra to challenge the angels with no interruptions. Abraham and Alice reappear before the twin vampires.

"Shall we dance?" Thamiezel asks.

Alice and Abraham immediately charge against Zelestra, holding their weapons out. The surprise catches the twins off guard, and Zelestra's arms and legs are cut apart by the angelic blades. Thamiezel stares in shock, wondering if they see through the twins' con. But he finds too late that it was simply a part of the angels' own deceitful plan. Two more blades of heavenly light pierce Thamiezel's stomach and heart. He feels a sharp pain spread through his body as he turns around to find two more angels. Zelestra and Thamiezel are separated as they both attempt to battle their powerful enemies. Thamiezel dodges and weaves to avoid the other two angels' attacks. He swipes at them with blackened claws and whips of vampiric energy, but they manage to avoid most of his attacks. He unleashes waves of dark power that make the skin of his enemies boil, but the angels fight back against the pain. They cleave and pierce Thamiezel's body with their weapons, causing great harm to him. He turns around to see his sister attempting to keep the assault off of her. Abraham and Alice carve at Zelestra's body, piercing her chest and belly as they ignore their own horrific wounds. He charges at the other two angels and strikes Abraham in the back, not caring about keeping himself exposed. The other two angels unleash a wave of heavenly light from their swords, sending the twin vampires hurtling through the air and leveling hundreds of buildings. Thamiezel and Zelestra fly away to recoup, but the Esylion forces have switched tactics. They ignore the countless ships of Thamiezel's empire in favor of firing everything at the twins. Thamiezel covers his sister's body with a dark aura, preventing the barrage from harming her. He lets the entirety of the attack pierce his body and spread angelic light throughout his form. Thamiezel is helpless as the attack continues firing. Zelestra returns to her human form within the shield.

"Brother, stop this! They'll destroy you!"

"No… they'll come close… but my body can handle this… you need… to convince them… to bring the family here… then our armies… will destroy the angels…"

Thamiezel laughs as he keeps his dark aura protecting Zelestra. Far above, the undefended Esylion warships are attacked by Thamiezel's forces. One by one the ships are destroyed until the barrage of light ceases. Yet Abraham's tactic worked. He walks forward with Alice and her sons to surround the vampires.

"You were right. He didn't think we'd attack her." Alice says.

"Her wounds are temporary. She will be healed when she is taken above."

The four angels surround the weakened vampires. Thamiezel whispers in Zelestra's ear before he falls to the ground. His body has been reduced to his human form, bleeding from hundreds of wounds all over his skin. The blood continues pouring out as Thamiezel's powers fade by the second. Zelestra stands and approaches the angels with malice in her eyes.

"You will not harm Thamiezel!" she bellows in a voice that sends tremors through the ground.

"Enough. You will return to your family." Abraham says.

"I have no family… you will burn for your defiance."

"Do you know your name?"

"I am Zelestra."

"You are Mabel Pines." Alice says.

Zelestra stops her approach, thinking over the name. She tilts her head in curiosity before continuing forward.

"Mabel… don't you remember your family?"

"What… be quiet…"

"Mabel, stop! They're waiting for you. Greg, Stan, and Bella. Don't you remember?"

"Liar! I have no one!"

Zelestra pauses and grabs her head in pain, seemingly overcome by the truth. She falls to her knees as the angels approach her. The four angels attempt to comfort Zelestra, trying to bring her mind out of the darkness she has seemingly been ensnared in. But they ignore Thamiezel, giving the dark lord the time to use his remaining power. He abandons his body, crawling through the world as a dark shade and flying straight for the deepest dungeon. He finds what he is looking for; the last way to escape the lost battle.

"Mabel, you have to remember." says Alice.

"I… where are they?"

"They're waiting for you. Come back."

Alice's anger is replaced by concern for the manipulated vampire. Abraham has turned his gaze away from Thamiezel to help remove the spells and enchantments he believes to be placed on Mabel's mind.

"Who… are you?" Zelestra asks.

"Alice Pines… and these are my children."

Zelestra looks at the warrior, curious as to their shared relationship.

"I'm… I'm your descendant…"

"No… stop… who… who are they…"

"We'll bring them back. You can see them again." Alice says. She retrieves an orb of heavenly light. It is a gateway to her bloodline's place in Paradise. The orb is the angel's means of quickly retreating back to their own world, yet Alice desires to use the orb to summon the twins' family. Zelestra waits silently as Alice falls into their trap.

"No. This battle is too dangerous… we take her now." Abraham says. Zelestra looks up as Alice places the orb back. The angels move in to claim their prize.

With the angels' worry focused on Zelestra, Thamiezel stands again. He returns to his broken body as the sealed chest flies into his grasp.

"Zelestra." he commands.

She flies back to her brother, but keeps her gaze focused on the four angels. They prepare to attack before they realize what the twins are doing. Zelestra takes the box and breaks it open. She holds the unholy sword in her hand as Thamiezel's head falls weakly onto his sister's shoulder.

"You… you know what this is, don't you, Abraham?" Thamiezel says.

"You would condemn her?! To that fate?!"

"Don't be silly. I will drag us both down to the depths. We will be bathed in fire and pain forever… or until the demons get bored. Whichever comes first."

Thamiezel chuckles in pain as Zelestra positions the blade, ready to pierce both hers and her brother's hearts. The angels see Thamiezel's deranged grin as he steadies himself on his sister's shoulder.

"Leave… this planet… or we will be lost forever." Thamiezel commands. The four angels begin to step back from the vampires.

"Alice, have an Esylion ship retrieve us."

"Are… yes."

"You are the same as him… a monster." Abraham says.

Alice flies away as Zelestra keeps her mind focused on the three remaining angels. Thamiezel keeps watch over his sister's descendant as she flies off. The twins continue the standoff with the angels, waiting for an attack. But Abraham is not willing to risk the twins falling to the depths of the Malebolge. He sits on the ground, attempting to regain his composure. Thamiezel's remaining ships begin to descend to the planet. They land near their wounded master as Alice returns with an Esylion shuttle. She steps off and approaches the vampires. Thamiezel's forces keep their weapons aimed at the angels.

"Abraham?" Alice says.

"Let's go."

The four angels return to the Esylion ship. Thamiezel and Zelestra watch as the angels flee to another planet. One of Thamiezel's vampire soldiers approaches the twins.

"Should we continue our assault?"

"No… we pull back." Zelestra says.

"But… Thamiezel."

"We pull back!" Zelestra shouts. Zelestra helps escort her weakened brother onto the battle ship. He limps as Zelestra holds his right arm around her shoulder, supporting her brother's broken form. He collapses onto the cold, steel floor. Zelestra sits down and holds her brother's head in her lap. She begins to cry weakly as her brother stares unfocused at the ceiling.

"Brother… it's me."

"Mab… Zelestra… I think… I think we lost today."

Zelestra chuckles sadly as the ship begins to take off.

"Sister… I think… we'll have to wait a little longer… before we see them again."

"I'll wait with you."

Thamiezel smiles weakly before he closes his eyes. Zelestra cries as Thamiezel continues his labored breathing, struggling to keep himself alive. A werewolf approaches the two and bows before the queen.

"My queen. What are your orders?"

"We return to Earth. Any planets of the Esylion Empire we haven't invaded are to be left alone. And bring our remaining armies back to Earth. I want the planet to be defended and ready to fight against anything."

"Yes, my lady."

Zelestra lifts her brother up and holds him in her arms. She rests her chin on his head as the armies begin pulling back.

"Who are those angels?" Thamiezel asks.

"The other three… one is Alice Pines. The other two are her children."

"Alice… I… I remember… they…"

"Shhh… it's alright, brother."

The twins' ship returns to Earth. The ship zooms over the great chasm and approaches the dark tower. Zelestra helps her brother stand as the ship lands.

"We're back. Come on, brother."

"I… I'm sorry I… I ruined everything."

"Shut up and walk."

Thamiezel laughs at his sister's command as he stumbles out of the ship, using Zelestra's help to maintain his balance.

"We… we need our armies back here."

"I know. I already gave the command."

"Good. You're learning."

"You aren't the only one with a strategic mind, you lunatic."

"No… no, I'm not… Abraham… he is a worthy adversary."

"I'll rip his tongue out." Zelestra says with her voice low and dark.

"Now, now. He's just another soldier… just on the wrong side of the board."

"He attacked me."

"Yes… because he knew I wouldn't expect it… he knew I would protect you."

"Do you think… he knows I am not on their side?"

"…I think not… he thinks I am… selfish… especially after that ploy with the sword. That I only help you so you will stay by me."

"What will we do next?"

"I… I need more power… I'm too weak… and… I must feed."

"… then we have livestock waiting for you."

"What?"

"The humans… the last humans on Earth. Take them in and regain your power."

"That… yes… yes. I will… feed… later."

Thamiezel and Zelestra approach their shared throne. Thamiezel collapses onto his stone seat as Zelestra sits with him. Thamiezel breathes deep and heavily, gasping for breath and exhausted from the battle. His wounds continue to drip blood as he sits upon the throne. A dragon flies before the balcony and looks in.

"My masters, our forces are beginning to return to Earth. What then?"

"Keep them here. I will not allow one Esylion or angel to step onto our world." Zelestra says.

"Yes, my lady. Our master… is he alright?"

"I… will have my power again… this is simply… a minor setback."

The dragon leaves to give the command. The twin rulers sit together as Thamiezel attempts to heal his wounds. He focuses his strength, closing the holes in his body and sealing the flow of blood.

"This is a dangerous game, brother."

"Yes… yes it is."

Thamiezel's armies begin to abandon the conquered Esylion worlds, leaving the ruined planets empty of life. The empire of Thamiezel continues to retreat until the Earth is surrounded by his armies. Millions of ships orbit the planet and countless monsters have come to serve their king. Zelestra keeps the knowledge that Thamiezel is weakened away from all but their closest servants.

"This is not how I hoped things would go, Zelestra."

"There are a lot of things that we didn't want… I guess we just have to make do."

"Yes… but I will… we will find a way to get them back."

"Yes. I miss them greatly."

"Stan and Bella."

"And Greg."

"Yes. Greg."

"I hope that he isn't lost to Paradise's bliss."

"If he loves you as much as I do, he will not let them take control of his mind. And he will not hate you for your choices."

"I know, I know… You must feed now, brother."

"Yes. I have one very large meal waiting on the other side of the Earth."

Thamiezel and Zelestra walk down the steps to their throne. Zelestra and Thamiezel transform into great bats. Zelestra watches over her brother as the twins fly out of the tower. They fly across the frigid, lifeless ocean filled with gigantic glaciers. They fly until they come to the African continent, where the last of humanity has buried itself to escape the harsh, dead world. Thamiezel and Zelestra land upon the frozen, dried wasteland.

"My brother… they are below us."

"Yes… I am dying for a drop of blood."

"And you say my humor is atrocious."

Thamiezel and Zelestra laugh as they descend into humanity's caverns. They move deep down into the tunnels dug up by the human race. They find a small, weakly lit town close to the surface. Thamiezel approaches the village, stumbling weakly. His skin is thin and weak. His body is wrapped in black cloth. His face is frail and white, appearing as an old man. The dark lord approaches the village just as they begin their daily prayer against Thamiezel. Their enemy stares down the small congregation as he approaches.

"Who? Who are you?" one of the humans asks.

"I… hunger."

"It's a monster."

"It's one of them."

Thamiezel smiles in amusement as the humans slowly begin to move up and stand against him.

"I… would offer you a choice… even though I'm fairly certain as to which you would choose."

"No choice from you will be accepted."

"Yes… that is what I thought you would say."

Zelestra stands guard as her brother flies against the human forces. She watches as he greedily and hungrily devours all of them, consuming entire chunks of flesh and absorbing their souls. She forces the humans that try to flee back with a wall of dark energy, allowing her brother to feed upon the entire town. Within several minutes the sounds of screaming and ravenous chewing have died out. Zelestra's darkness returns to her, and Thamiezel finishes consuming the last piece of human.

"More… I need more."

"Then let's keep going."

Zelestra and Thamiezel descend further into the caverns. Piece by piece, Thamiezel slowly consumes the remaining humans. He passes through small groups and large underground caverns as he feeds upon the last of his species. Within several hours, Thamiezel and Zelestra have reached the final encampment. The large, open cavern that houses the last several million humans lies within. Thamiezel sees a group of masked cultists dragging one of their own into a large circle. The human prisoner attempts to fight back, but is powerless as he is thrown about the area. Thamiezel descends into the caverns and walks into the crowd surrounding the human. Thamiezel smirks as he sees one of the Watchers approach the captured prisoner.

"This sinner would bring the wrath of Hell down upon us! He would condemn us to the madness of the great evil!"

"No! I just wanted to…"

The prisoner's mouth is silenced as a piece of cloth is shoved down his throat. The humans hold large stones, ready to brutalize the prisoner for his transgressions. Thamiezel walks into the center of the mob, throwing a pebble up and down as he approaches the prisoner. Thamiezel ignores the priest's attempts to halt the demon. Thamiezel walks up and kneels, looking into the eyes of the prisoner.

"Hello… do you want to be free from this madness? Do you wish your death to be quick and painless?"

The prisoner sees the vampiric gaze of Thamiezel and backs away in fear. Thamiezel slides his finger along the prisoner's cheek, showing care and affection that not even the humans would give. Thamiezel removes the cloth from the prisoner's mouth and smiles warmly.

"Come now… I can spare you the sight of what I do to them."

"Please… don't let them hurt me."

Thamiezel leans in and delicately begins drinking the blood of the human. The body slowly dies and turns into murky blood, which Thamiezel seems to inhale into his body. The dark king turns towards the other humans and smiles.

"Now… you."

Zelestra watches as Thamiezel begins the end of the human race. He tears and carves through their warriors before taking their blood within himself. He moves through the crude houses, devouring every last human he finds. Zelestra hums in boredom as the screams begin to spread through the last city of the human race. The mass feast continues for several hours before the screams and battles begin to die down. Thamiezel approaches his sister, rejuvenated.

"Are you done?"

"Yes. The humans are no more."

"Your powers… are you at full strength?"

Thamiezel's grin fades slightly.

"Brother… tell me."

"My powers… are a little less than half of what they were before."

"Then we had better find some other way to defeat the angels."

"Yes… yes, let's return to the throne… hopefully the angels stay far away for awhile."

"They won't be able to come near you, my brother."

Thamiezel smiles at his sister. The twin rulers return to their throne, preparing to defend themselves if the angels attempt an invasion. Thamiezel sits with his sister deep in thought.

"I… how to lure our family out…" Thamiezel mutters.

"We will wait until we are above the angel's threat… then we act."

"Yes… but how…"

"Brother… let's return to our dreams… perhaps your mind will have something of value."

"Yes… yes, perhaps."

Zelestra extends hundreds of tendrils out of her back. She lifts up her brother and wraps her arms around his body. She leans in, savoring the texture of his skin. The dark power of the queen covers the entire room and shrouds the balcony. The staircase coming into the throne becomes blocked by dark energy. Thamiezel smiles as he rests his head on Zelestra's shoulder. Zelestra holds his head to her as they fall asleep.

Thousands of light years away, the angels sit in council together. Alice, realizing the Esylions are mad enough to create weapons that could cast people to the Malebolge, has banished the reptilian species from the inner chambers.

"Abraham... what do we do?"

"We are not powerful enough by ourselves to attack his fortress. We would have to build up the Esylions."

"And let these psychos take over the galaxy? They're worse than the vampires."

"No… we aren't here to trade one empire for another. We are here to take Mabel Pines back… Thamiezel is weakened. He knows this. Anything that comes against their planet will be destroyed before it lands… but an invisible force might be able to attack them."

"I'll go… I'll destroy him."

Alice walks out to the ruined remains of the Esylion fleet. She leaves her kids and gets on the ship with one of the Esylions. She glares with disgust at the creature, viewing it as even worse than the monster she now hunts. Alice is escorted by the Esylion warrior to the outskirts of Earth's solar system.

"May the blessings of the Lord be upon you." the Esylion says. Alice tears open a hole in the ship and allows the creature to be sucked out into space. She flies invisibly past the dying alien. She soars past the planets and moons, looking at them with a bittersweet happiness. She begins to cry as she nears the Earth. A great cloud has engulfed the entire planet, blocking out the sun. She moves unseen past the countless warships that sit in wait around the planet. She pierces the dark cloud around the Earth and continues her descent through miles of thick, black ash. She freezes above the planet. Her heart fills with anger at the ruined world. She sees the great tower growing into the sky and the open wound of the caldera. Alice closes her mind, preventing anyone from gazing into her thoughts. She flies towards her mark, ready to end Thamiezel's powers and capture his dark spirit. She approaches the tower and realizes that it is built over the remains of her home, Gravity Falls. She calms her anger at the defilement of her home and enters the great tower. She walks unseen from the bottom, moving past demons and werewolves. As she approaches, she spots a peculiar sight. She sees a female vampire with several vampiric children. She's teaching them to block their minds. Alice stops, forgetting her goal as she watches the sight.

"Mom, why does it matter?" Arella asks.

"Because there are powers in this universe that will attempt to break your mind. You must control your thoughts to prevent them from seeing you. If you are being hunted, this can be the difference between life and death."

"Ugh, but it's boring."

"Yes, and it's necessary. Now where's Georgey? Georgey!"

Alice prevents her mind from slipping up and laughing at the name. She watches as a goblin child grumbles in annoyance as he walks over.

"You have to learn this too."

"Come on, Georgey!" Arella says in a teasing voice. The goblin grows tired of her teasing and charges at her. Arella flies up into the air away from the goblin. He jumps and claws at the air in an attempt to reach her.

"Arella, stop teasing Georgey."

"It's a stupid name." the goblin says.

"It's a great name. She's going to get her television privileges revoked."

"Ugh, Mom!"

"Then get down here and apologize."

Alice moves away from the room and continues her ascent up the tower. She moves silently up the and pauses, looking out a window. She sees the curvature of the Earth as she nears the top, fully realizing how tall the stronghold is. Far more powerful demons and vampires make their home near the top, along with hundreds of goblin servants. She begins to realize that monsters from the depths of Inferno have begun to leak out into Thamiezel's empire, switching over to his side. She approaches the doors to the throne and sees a dark aura pouring out. She steels her mind and heart and enters the room. Hundreds of dark tendrils line the walls and ceiling. They pulse and twitch with foul power, like the inner organs of an alien monster. They slither and wrap around the room, protecting those within from any that might attack. Alice continues into the room, invisible to the evil and looking through the large mass of tentacles. She finds herself becoming lost in the seemingly infinite mass of vampiric energy. She walks through the forest of evil as she tries to reach her enemies. She realizes that a spell is within the room making the darkness seem to extend forever. Alice concentrates and banishes the spell from her mind. She continues moving forward until she comes upon a small light amidst the darkness. She follows the light as it seems to grow in strength. The details sharpen on the tentacles as she continues forward. The tendrils seem to be covered in thousands of closed flaps as they twitch and move. She looks closer at one and sees that within the skin, there is an eye. There are millions of closed eyes covering the tentacles.

Alice moves into a clearing in the tentacle-filled mass. She focuses her gaze on penetrating the barrier of light. She looks in and sees them; Thamiezel and Zelestra. Thamiezel's eyes remain closed as he rests his head between his sister's shoulder and neck. Zelestra holds Thamiezel protectively between her arms and wings, folding over his body. Alice moves closer and listens closely to the words of her ancestor. She recognizes the words. Zelestra whispers a song in Enochian, the language of the angels, to her brother. She speaks of the calm bliss of the fields of Paradise, and the reunion of family beyond the veil of death. The peaceful words become a haunting spell, and Alice loses her will to fight. She remains motionless as Zelestra continues her song, speaking of happier times and the meeting of spirits who parted paths.

Alice feels her hate and anger fade as the long song continues. Alice had often found the music of the angels to be unpleasant, as if there is an aura of imperfection and evil they want to hide with their words. But hearing Zelestra whisper the spell, Alice feels the anger leave her soul. She continues waiting as the hours pass by and Zelestra's serene lullaby continues, speaking of bliss and the removal of pain and sadness. Speaking of saving souls from their own inner darkness, allowing the greatest of monsters to redeem their corrupted nature.

Once the music comes to a stop, Alice regains her senses. She readies herself to destroy Thamiezel. But as she does, the millions of eyes lining the dark tendrils shoot open. They are the eyes of those the vampires have devoured. Alice thinks she has been discovered, but the eyes focus towards the entrance of the throne room. The tendrils return to the ceiling and floor as they move back towards their source as a mass of energy. The powerful tendrils return to Zelestra, slithering into her back. The twins descend to the floor and step down. Their eyes reopen as they go to speak with the source of the disturbance.

"Hello, again." Zelestra says to the vampire Arella.

"I'm sorry. She ran up the stairs when I was turned away." Arella's mother says as she flies up. Thamiezel smirks in amusement as Arella approaches him. He kneels down and meets Arella at eye level, smiling warmly.

"So, what have you been up to?" Thamiezel asks.

"Mom was being boring, so I came up here. Hello, grumpy man."

"Come now. Surely you know my name by now."

"Thamiezel."

"And Arella, how is Georgey?"

"He's downstairs. He can't fly, so he gave up."

Zelestra walks over and smiles at the young vampire. Alice realizes that Zelestra isn't a captive in the tower, but willing stays there.

"So, how old are you now?" Zelestra asks.

"Eight years and five months."

"And you'd better drink lots of healthy blood. Don't need you getting small and withered away like Thamiezel here."

"That's very rude, Zelestra." Thamiezel replies with a grin. Alice prepares to strike the vampires and escape before they can come against her, but she sees the innocent child wandering through the tower, free from the insanity of the greater universe. Alice feels her vengeful thoughts fade.

"_I'm not like him."_ thinks the angel.

Alice leaves the dark fortress. She flies past the ruins of the Earth and returns to the Esylion ship. She reactivates it and sets it to go back to the Esylion capital.

Within the vampires' throne, Thamiezel and Zelestra continue to speak with Arella's mother.

"So, Felicia, are you planning on staying here?" Zelestra asks.

"For now, why?"

"Well, the planet is fairly… dead." Thamiezel says.

"Yes… yes it is. But there is still beauty in the chasms below us."

"Very well… but you should know. The Esylion forces will likely attack us eventually."

"Considering how many ships surround the planet, this is probably the safest place in the empire."

"Yes… but the angels will not let us go so easily."

"How many are there?"

"Four… I will not lie to you. They nearly destroyed me. And they are leading one of the most deluded species in the universe. If they come against us, they will attempt to kill every last form of life here."

"Should… should we do something about it?"

"Actually… yes." Zelestra says. Thamiezel turns to his sister.

"We should have enough ships to evacuate the planet should we be attacked. A fail safe."

"I... I will give the command… do you really believe they'll invade?" Felicia says.

"Eventually." Thamiezel replies. Felicia gives a bow before leaving with her daughter. Thamiezel and Zelestra return to their throne and reenter their dreams. Zelestra remains in her own thoughts as Thamiezel walks through the large library he has designed in his head. He begins searching through his thoughts, trying to connect the pieces together for something that will aid him.

"The dragon titan, no. Nyarlathotep. Probably kill me once he got bored… hundred slayer."

Thamiezel groans in aggravation as he scatters the papers away. But he freezes in place. He retrieves the paper of the hundred slayer. An ancient soldier said to have become a moon by a long dead culture. He sees a picture of the creation, a tall warrior believed to be capable of destroying a hundred enemies in one blow. The picture depicts a holy entity that descended from the heavens. The creature's limbs are shown to be made up of large stone pillars hovering in the shape of a humanoid. Within the heart of the creature lies a golden orb, like a small star. Thamiezel thinks back through his memories. He takes the journal of the creature that discovered Dracul. He searches through the text for the information and finds what he's looking for. Thamiezel awakens with a laugh. He cackles maniacally as Zelestra revives and looks towards him.

"Brother, what are you doing now?"

"I… I think I have it…"

"What is it?"

"The hundred slayer… I have it! The celestial warrior!"

Thamiezel laughs maniacally as he turns to his sister. He kisses her on the lips and moves away, twirling in place.

"What is it?! You found something, right?"

"Yes. Look at this."

Thamiezel displays the images next to each other. The two entities seem to be made out of the same material. The large, floating pillars and the golden center.

"The tribe of the Ecthalios said that they were saved by a creature that descended from the heavens. It called itself the slayer of one hundred. But it was not speaking of killing one hundred warriors. It was a celestial machine! It could kill one hundred planets! One shot and one hundred worlds erased at once."

"And where is it?"

"This world… it's abandoned of life now. The species was killed by a giant meteor. But the celestial said that he would sleep. They said he became the moon over their world, watching over and protecting them. But I guess it simply went to bed and never woke up."

"Do you think it's still there?"

"There's a chance. A small chance, but it's still a chance."

"What do we do? You are still not that powerful."

"I… I know… we could… we might risk them spotting us… we could send… no, no… I think… I… I will go."

"I'm going with you."

"I… please stay… I will not risk them capturing your soul."

"And you would risk your own capture?"

"I've already risked too much… I won't drag you into war again… I know… you felt my calling from Paradise, right?"

"Yes… it was like a wound in my heart…"

"That's it. Our connection. Our shared link."

Thamiezel grabs into his own flesh. He tears out a piece of his own heart and power. He gives the fragment of himself to Zelestra.

"This is a part of me. A portion of my power and my soul. Hold it with you so that you may call me back. A way to reach past any distance and retake me."

"What if the angels surround you?"

"Then I'll call out. And when you answer, you can claim me again. This is powerful enough to breach the control of Heaven. To remove their spell of ignorance. This connection can break all boundaries."

Zelestra holds the piece of her brother's darkened soul. She allows it to pass into her body.

"I will take a shuttle there. I will find this celestial machine and make it our own."

Zelestra kisses her brother one last time. Thamiezel returns to the shadows and flies away from the ruined world. He enters a small goblin shuttle and reforms his body.

"You there."

"What? Oh, shit!" the goblin says as he shakes and falls over.

"You are silly." Thamiezel says flatly.

"Sorry… sorry. I've never met you before. I, uh, sorry."

"Stop apologizing and take control of the ship. I have someplace I need you to go."

"Yes, my master."

Thamiezel waits as the goblin flies towards the planet he needs. The dead world is located far away from their home galaxy, hundreds of millions of light years from the Earth. Thamiezel looks upon the dead world and sees that three moons orbit it. One of the moons seems to have a large, solitary mountain.

"I want you to return in an hour." Thamiezel says. The vampire leaves the ship and flies towards the mountain. The goblin returns to Earth, leaving Thamiezel alone. He wanders the silent, airless moon. There is a serene emptiness about the moon, as if no life can be felt or heard. He approaches the large mountain, wondering if the entity is dead. But as he moves closer, he sees a hole in the mountain. He wanders through the gateway, looking in with his vampiric vision. The walls of the inside seem to glow with an ethereal green aura. A light pulses out from the center of the mountain. Thamiezel walks through the strange machine as the light pulses and electricity shoots through the walls.

"Now then. Where to find the source of this power."

Thamiezel walks into a large corridor. The jagged rocks of the mountain give way to a sleek, green corridor leading farther in. Thamiezel steps in and continues walking, humming and mumbling the words to one of his favorite songs.

"Whether you're a brother, whether you're a mother… stayin' alive. Stayin' alive."

Thamiezel feels the ground tilt and shake. He falls to the ceiling as the gravity switches.

"How strange."

Thamiezel continues walking through the mountain. The gravity continues to shift randomly. It changes to the wall, ceiling, and floor with little warning. It increases to the point where it could crush a human into a puddle, or becomes so light that Thamiezel can float without using his power. Thamiezel continues through the strange machine until he comes to the heart of the mountain. A large, glowing orb sits in the center. Thamiezel approaches the core of the celestial weapon. He looks at the orb and sets his hand on it. The ancient power does not respond to his touch. He floats around the center of the room as light pulsates through the mountain. Strange patterns and ancient letters Thamiezel has never seen before line the inside of the machine. The letters glow green as a pulse of energy moves through the body of the machine. Thamiezel approaches the core again. He feels the power radiating from within. Powers that dwarf even his. Thamiezel looks around for anything that would attack him should he try and threaten the machine. He tests the limits of the powerful weapon and punches it. Finding no attempt to destroy the intruder, Thamiezel continues his prodding of the weapon. He finds no means to control or awaken to weapon, so he sinks his teeth into the center of power. He feels the power of the machine enter his body. The power of Dracul begins to corrupt the machine as lines of black smoke pour into the golden center. The machine quakes and trembles as the life is slowly sucked out of it. Thamiezel feels the great power pour into his soul. Suddenly he feels a sharp pain in his chest. The machine is attempting to fight against the parasite. Thamiezel struggles with the machine and begins forcing it to become a part of him. But as he continues to devour the powerful weapon, he starts to feel another mind. He sees the memories of the machine. Thamiezel realizes that the weapon is alive. That it has a soul and can feel. And the memories of the powerful machine begin to pour into Thamiezel's head. He sees through the machine's eyes and begins shouting, trying to force the memories out of his mind.

He sees as the machine speaks with its creator, a powerful deity unmentioned in any world. A creature older than Paradise and Inferno. The machine's master speaks of a great war. A war to save the new life rising in the universe from an ancient threat, a powerful monster that attempted to conquer all of existence. The machine is told that the great war lasted for countless ages before the dark realm was at last thrown down and its master imprisoned. But the divine powers, calling themselves the Children of the First, freed their brother after believing him to have been redeemed. But their folly had returned to haunt them, for their brother had rebuilt his dark realm and had come to steal all other life forms. The Children of the First had come to realize that their brother would torture endlessly in an attempt to destroy the immortal soul. An attempt to completely erase others from existence, so that it would be the only being in creation. The Children of the First, finally seeing how corrupt and monstrous their brother was, began a second war.

The machine, one amongst hundreds of millions, stood ready for the end. The Children used their powers to drag the entirety of the dark world's realm into theirs. The two dimensions, older than all others, began a war of malice and wrath. The glowing blue realm of the Children stretched out. And far beyond, the realm of darkness dwelled as great furnaces and clouds of shadow spewed from the belly of the dimension.

Thamiezel feels the memories of the war crash through his mind and torture his soul. He screams in pain as he feels the ancient machine battling countless creatures from the other realm. The ancient evil sent forth immeasurable powers to battle the Children of the First. Demons of fire that could create and destroy stars. Hostile gaps in the universe that distort and torture minds with their presence. Malformed entities that appear as gigantic spider-like shadows that march across the plains of infinity to battle the Children of the First.

Thamiezel feels his mind burn and tear itself apart as the memories continue as if he suffered through the battle himself. The machine is consumed and ripped apart by a sentient wound in the universe. The wound is cleansed and reduced, and the machine, already suffering horrendous torture, is given a new shell and thrust back into the war. The machine died a thousand times over and a thousand times again, each time suffering scars that carved deep into its mind and soul. But the entity continued pushing forward as it battled side by side with its masters. The war lasted for a seeming eternity. As the Children of the First begin to push back the dark entities, the final weapon of the shadow was unleashed. Great dragon-like monsters burst forth from the veil of darkness. The smallest of them could crush the Earth with their bodies, and the greatest are monstrous dimensions capable of extinguishing galaxies with their mere presence. They could breathe power and heat great enough to tear apart the skin of the universe. Yet the Children of the First found allies in their hour of need. Their younger siblings, for whom they had gone to war in the first place for, came to their aid. Near endless arrays of powerful ships and weapons came forth from the universe above, battling against the realm of chaos. The greatest dragon was cast down, and the sheer weight and power of the beast crushed through the dark universe. The beast exploded and ripped open a hole in the cosmos as the Children of the First marched to remove their brother from existence.

But the machine had no joy for victory. It dwelled within the greater universe as the scars of war tortured its soul. It stayed away from any new battles that began. It watched from afar as the Children of the First went to war against an empire of their younger siblings, now led by a dark lieutenant of the First Hell. The butchery devastated the Children's will to fight, and after defeating their enemy's legion of corrupted servants they abandoned the universe, vanishing without a trace. The celestial destroyer stood by, watching countless new gods rise and attempt to claim control over the universe. At last the ancient machine found a small world. It prevented the destruction of the small race that dwelled there. It spoke with them; giving them a message if any should come to awaken the soldier again.

"I am the last of the hundred slayers. Let my soul rest so that the wheels of time might sooth my pain."

Thamiezel feels his mind shatter and fade, losing all sense of self. The fragments of the dark lord explode through eternity as his memories fade away.


	2. Resurrection

A blur of darkness floats through the infinite nothingness.

"_What…"_

The thing attempts to remember what it once was. What it once had.

"_I… I…"_

The fragment of anger drifts through eternity, unable to see anything but blackness. It floats through nowhere, trying to remember its path.

"_I…"_

The sliver of dark power feels a pain in its memories.

"_War… death…"_

The memories of a battle greater than any other drift in and out of thought.

"_Death… only death…"_

The mind drifts through the countless deaths it has endured. Battles and wounds that nothing should have to bear. Scars that carve deep into the soul and send pain throughout the drifting mind.

"_Death… death…"_

The mind continues drifting, seemingly lost forever. But then it hears something. A cry of pain from another. A plea of sadness and remorse.

"_Who…"_

The mind follows the voice, wandering through the chasm of infinite blackness. The source of the cries drives deep into the mind, goading it into following.

"_Who… I know…"_

The mind fights against its own pain and sorrow. It hears the other cry, following and knowing it needs to help.

"_Who… she… Who is she?…"_

The voice continues to move through the darkness. But it finds a small sliver of light to follow. A path to the source of the one in pain.

"_She… Mabel… Mabel…"_

The power knows that name and as it continues on its path, it finds others following the same voice. Slivers of dark power continuing to move.

"_Mabel… Zelestra… my… my sister… my love…"_

The dark strands of energy begin to rejoin as they drift forward, and the light continues to grow in strength.

"_Mabel… my queen… I… I am…"_

The light begins to glow brighter than the blackness, sending the infinite darkness fleeing back.

"_I… am… Thamiezel… I am… the dragon…_"

The void fades as the single light separates into threads of energy, zooming past like countless shooting stars.

"_I am Thamiezel… and I will not be destroyed by a broken machine!"_

The darkness recombines as the threads of light shorten into the familiar twinkle of the stars.

Thamiezel awakens from his nightmare. His eyes dart around in an attempt to place his location. Above him he sees clouds of ash and a great chasm of fire erupting into the sky. He looks forward and sees only blackness. His eyes focus and he realizes he is staring at his fortress. He attempts to stand, but his legs and arms are too weak to move. He lies helpless beneath his dark tower as he realizes that the only sound is coming from the fires of the Earth and his own breath. The Earth has been abandoned. He remains on the ground, exhausted from his battle with the mind of the hundred slayer. Thamiezel can only watch the dead world as the hours pass. He attempts to stand a second time. He manages to flip his body over. His arms weakly move up and shake before he collapses again. Thamiezel lies amidst the ash covered world as he breathes deeply. He coughs on the ash as it enters his lungs.

"What… what happened?..."

He hears another sound in the empty wasteland. The sound of rocks flying through the air and landing on the ground. One rock lands on Thamiezel's head, and the dark king grumbles in annoyance.

"What? How can anyone be here?"

Thamiezel attempts to stand and challenge the source of his aggravation, but he merely falls again.

"You… what are you doing here?" the voice asks. The entity walks forward, and Thamiezel stares up to meet the red eyes of a goblin.

"I… I… what has happened?"

"What?"

"The armies… the powers."

"They left. All of them… the forces of the Esylios invaded. Led by some mad angels. Everyone left. Although they abandoned me… who are you?"

"What happened to her? Zelestra?"

"The queen? She began the evacuation. Boarded one of the ships and fled off world."

"She would not abandon her love."

"I… I was there. Our forces were retreating. My ship was already in the air. Hers was waiting. She tried to wait for her king. But he was not there. He… the rumor was his body had burned. That he had been poisoned by the angels some time before. That was… that was some time ago. My ship was damaged and I fell out. They would not risk their own demise, so they left me."

"My… my powers."

Thamiezel lies weakly on the ground as the goblin walks over to him. Thamiezel attempts to stand again with the aid of the hunched goblin. Thamiezel rises to his feet, but after a few steps his legs give out. The broken king falls to his knees.

"You… how is a human still here?"

"I am not human. I am…"

Thamiezel looks at his hands. Blood and ash cover his body, and he coughs weakly.

"I… I lost everything." he mutters weakly. He begins crying as the goblin sits down with him.

"Well, I did too."

"How… do you still live?"

"There's some life left deep in the caverns. Grass and plant. Us goblins are not easily beaten by starvation… but it will probably kill me soon, anyways."

"Then it seems we die together."

"To the glory of death."

Thamiezel chuckles weakly with his goblin companion. They sit in place, watching the blackened sky and the great pit of fire. Thamiezel chokes on the clouds of ash as he begins shivering.

"It's… so cold."

"Yes. You will probably die before me. I am sorry, for I will likely eat your corpse."

"I would not hold it against you."

Thamiezel looks towards the sky. His vampiric gaze fails him; he cannot pierce the clouds and see the stars. The shivering man and the small but sturdy goblin watch the sky for several minutes.

"Can… can you stand yet?"

"I… will try."

Thamiezel steps onto his feet. With the help of his lone friend, Thamiezel begins moving. He walks slowly with his goblin companion across the dead landscape. He stumbles on the uneven ground and falls, gashing his right arm on a jagged rock. The goblin helps him back up and they continue walking. Thamiezel holds his arm in pain.

"Well… you will probably die of infection now, human."

"Unless the cold reaches me first."

"True, true."

Thamiezel laughs, amused at his failure. He had gambled everything and lost. He walks for awhile with the goblin before falling again, gasping for breath. He stands once more and follows the goblin down into the depths of the world, finding his sight failing him.

"It's dark."

"For you, yes. But I will guide you."

"You will not betray me?"

"That would be pointless. We're both going to die. Might as well have some company."

Thamiezel allows the goblin to guide him down into the caves. Thamiezel sees a small sliver of light reach into the depths of the cavern from a tiny hole. It is not enough to see anything within the cave, except for what lies directly beneath. Thamiezel sees that moss and plants have grown down in the deep caverns. Thamiezel trips over something. As he stands back up, he picks up the object that he stumbled over. He realizes that he's holding a bone.

"What did this belong to?"

"Those… there were some survivors. We tried to group together… find a way to escape or survive. But we all began dying, one by one. We ate the dead… guess I'm the lucky one."

"Or unlucky, depending on one's viewpoint."

"That is true, random human."

Thamiezel sits close to the small source of light. He looks out, shuddering in cold and pain. He rests with the goblin warrior, eating scraps of plants and moss in a pitiful attempt to avoid starvation. The cold begins to pierce deep into his bone. The goblin leaves the fallen king temporarily.

"Where are you going?"

"Find something warm."

Thamiezel sits, shivering, as the goblin fiddles and throws things about within the great darkness. Thamiezel hears the goblin return. The creature hands over some twenty different pieces of cloth, recovered from destroyed ships and dead goblins. Thamiezel takes the items and wraps himself within the warm and reeking fabric. He sits before the small light as his body begins to warm up. He sees his human skin, bereft of any power, and begins weeping. The goblin sits with his sad companion. Tears fall from his eyes too, remembering what he has lost. The goblin holds onto Thamiezel for support and comfort. As Thamiezel's tears dry, he turns to his goblin.

"What… what is your name?"

"My name… Samael, the Fire Forger."

"That sounds made up… you are lying." Thamiezel says with a smirk.

"What's your name?"

"… Pine Tree."

The goblin laughs to himself.

"Well then, it seems we are both liars."

"Then let us enjoy the end of our days, Samael the Fire Forger."

Thamiezel sits within the caverns with the goblin for several days. The two friends survive on the small plant life near the limited light. Thamiezel crawls along the floor once he can no longer find food close to the light. He scratches his arm as the infection starts to grow.

"As far as personal hells go, I'd say this is fair." Thamiezel says as he grabs a speck of plant and swallows it.

"Why do you say that?"

"No… no reason."

"Well, I think I've found some random fungus over here."

Thamiezel crawls towards the goblin's voice. Thamiezel bumps into the creature. The two starving companions sit together as they eat the fungus together.

"So Pine Tree. What were you before you fell out of the sky?"

"Can't remember."

"That's sad. I was a servant of the throne. I helped build weapons and ships for the defense of the planet."

"Esylions. They were the invaders, right?"

"Yes. They weren't too powerful when we first went to war with them. But the angels helped make them into a threat. Crazy bastards tore the planet up. Well, more so than it already was."

"It seems that mad dog in charge ruined everything."

"Yes. I don't blame him, though. He was just trying to do something for his sweetheart."

Thamiezel chuckles weakly before he begins coughing again.

"You don't blame him for ruining everything?"

"Well, he did do a lot of harm. But he helped my people survive. I suppose that must count for something."

"I suppose so, too."

"I am sorry for whatever happened to you, Pine Tree."

"Thank you."

The fallen vampire crawls back towards the light once the fungi are gone. Thamiezel's human body starts to deteriorate as the days pass by. Thamiezel's arm becomes infected and begins rotting away. His muscles and flesh fade until there is only a thin layer of skin covering his bones. He coughs and vomits, unable to hold his food, and his mind begins to wane as well. His hair begins to fall out in clumps. He shakes and stares unfocused and deliriously.

"How… how long?" Thamiezel asks.

"How long since what?"

"…evacuation."

"The days… I cannot tell. But I feel it in my heart. It has been a long time."

"And now… now I die."

"What were you? Before you ended up here?"

"I… it does not matter."

"Well, whatever… I am bored… but at least I have company a little longer. Do you know any stories?"

Thamiezel laughs at the odd request. The goblin, however, is very serious. He inches closer, hoping that his companion can find some old story or legend to tell the goblin before the man succumbs to death.

"I… I have one…"

The goblin sits next to Thamiezel, waiting expectantly for the story.

"It is… a tale of the twins. Chained since the beginning… weaved their path through the world, together. They searched for the world's secrets and battled monsters... There was one spirit… above all the others. A great… pyramid with an eye… gazing out into the cosmos. A powerful demon… attempting to regain his power. The twins stood… imprisoned the demon. The circle was made. The spell was spoken. The demon's power faded… So it cursed them… it… it attacked one… heart of one… he stood, yet he saw his body... He thought he was dead… but he was not… nor alive."

"What was he?"

"A… dream demon… lost everything… he saw all… all he loved die… they all died… and he was alone… invisible... so he… he promised… to move the heavens… to regain those… the ones he lost…"

The goblin sits, thinking over the story that he has heard.

"Where… where have you heard this tale?"

"… it is my own… I have lost everything. Mabel… my Mabel. I… and now I have nothing…"

Thamiezel begins to cry. He sits beneath the world he destroyed, waiting for his end. He feels the cold hands of death inch closer by the minute. Yet his thoughts are only concerned with who he has lost. He focuses on the pain and sorrow in his heart. The loss for the one he promised to protect. The one who could be chained within Paradise, powerless against her bonds. He concentrates on her. Her joy, her smile, her dark, flowing hair and her beautiful pale skin. He feels his anger return. Anger at himself for gambling everything. Anger for the powers who abandoned him to madness. He feels his heated rage that had driven him for so long return.

"Mabel… my queen… my master… my love… I… will not lose you again…"

Thamiezel's face begins to burn. He wipes his cheeks, trying to clear the pain. He looks at his tears. They begin to burn through his hand, dripping down onto the cavern floor. He stares at the infection in his arm. He focuses his mind and anger on the necrotic tissue. The wounds begin to heal from his determination and wrathful drive. He focuses all of his hate on his broken, mangled skeletal body. His skin begins to pulse with the beating of his blackened heart. His weakened arms begin to regrow. The thin layer of skin covering his ribs returns in full and his scraggly hair begins to grow back, revealing the brown bangs of his youth. He stands and wobbles before his feet find their balance. He feels his old strength begin to return with every passing second.

"What… what are you?" the goblin asks. Thamiezel looks upwards at the stone ceiling. He concentrates his thoughts, piercing through the dark caverns and beyond. His mind's eye passes through the poisonous fumes and looks upon the night sky. He grins madly as he begins to feel the might of the Order passing through his veins again. But then he begins to feel an even greater strength. The power he had attempted to corrupt now flows through his veins.

"I… am Thamiezel."

"You… you died."

"I have died several times. It never stopped me before. My body… my flesh… I feel it… the might of the hundred slayer."

"What?"

"An old myth. I thought nothing of it at first. Slaying a hundred warriors is something I am already quite capable of. But the myths were mistranslated. They were not slayers of warriors, but of worlds. Star systems. Can you imagine it? A soldier capable of slicing through a hundred planets and stars with a simple swing of his weapon. Removing a galaxy within a week or even a day. An army of millions of machinations, each one with powers that dwarf even mine?"

"What… what in the name of the Orudrum could need such power?"

"You don't want to know… I will simply say that there was a great war. A war of which the simple memories of were enough to shatter my mind and body."

Thamiezel laughs as he feels the great power course through his body and soul. He restores his clothing, wearing a long, dark tuxedo with a white shirt and a bowtie. He creates a top hat that floats above his head and summons a cane with a vampiric gargoyle head on top. Thamiezel grabs his goblin friend and begins the long walk back outside. He no longer needs the aid of the goblin to see in the darkness. His vampiric gaze allows him to see everything. The two come out of the depths of the ruined Earth and look up. They begin to hear a crackling in the air. Thamiezel looks up to see a large piece of the tower begin to slide off. Without the power of the planet's rulers and the care of the goblins, the tower has begun to crumble. The goblin screams in terror as Thamiezel grabs him, teleporting across the wasteland. Thamiezel and the goblin appear hundreds of miles away from the fortress. The goblin continues screaming before realizing that they are no longer below the decaying tower. Thamiezel laughs at his friend's terror as the mountain sized chunk of iron and steel crashes into the ground hundreds of miles away.

"You are funny, Samael. But we have to go… we have to leave this dead land."

"Are there any other survivors?"

"I don't know."

Thamiezel looks out with his mind, seeking signs of life on the ruined planet. He finds nothing.

"There is nothing left. Let us leave the Earth to its end."

He looks out towards the universe, searching for any sign of his remaining empire.

"Do you have any family?" Thamiezel asks.

"I had a companion… a beautiful vampire. She escaped on a ship."

"Which direction was the ship going?"

"What?"

"The direction of the ship. Try to keep up, my friend. I know where all my worlds are. The direction of the ship will tell me where they may have fled to."

The goblin tries to remember which way the ship had taken off to. He points to an area in the sky.

"So… we have… seven worlds to search."

"Thank you, my master."

"What is her name?"

"Arella."

Thamiezel's heart pauses at the name. The name of the vampire who was still a child before Thamiezel began his searching.

"How… how old is she?" Thamiezel asks.

"She was forty years old."

"Forty… I have been dead for thirty two years. Now then… it seems we must both find the ones we love."

Thamiezel's mind takes him and his companion across the vast emptiness of space. He finds a small world that has been taken over by his horde of creatures. Thamiezel strengthens his heart for his sister, hoping that fate has not allowed her to be discovered. Thamiezel brings his companion onto the world. The world is farther from its star than Earth, perfect for the creatures that dislike the light of the suns.

Thamiezel walks towards the edge of the great forest of the terraformed planet. Great metal towers pierce the clouds of the world, built by the hands of the Thamiezel's servants. Thamiezel falls to his knees and grabs his head as it throbs in pain.

"Thamiezel, what is wrong?"

"I… I hear their thoughts. I feel their hearts… their pain… their worry… I see them."

Thamiezel is overwhelmed by the thoughts of everyone within the city. He feels their losses, their joy, and their anger. The tide of emotions is too much. He holds his head in agony and tries to suppress the thoughts of everyone around him. He grabs his friend and quickly vanishes deep into the alien forest far from the city. In the woodland, the only thoughts surrounding him are animals. Simple thoughts and far less numerous than the greater city. Thamiezel rests on the ground with his goblin ally.

"Their thoughts… I can hear them all."

"Who?"

"This whole planet… my power… is far greater than before… I can feel it in my heart. I could easily burn this world and have enough power to remove this galaxy… so much power… this will help me destroy the angels."

"How many are there?"

"There were four… and now I am greater than a hundred of them. A thousand."

"Perhaps we should go."

"Yes… yes, I must learn to take control of my powers. To use them properly."

Thamiezel takes his goblin back to the outer walls of the city. He attempts to focus his power, blocking out all voices from his mind. He concentrates on removing all distractions and feelings from his consciousness.

"They… are silenced."

He stands back up and marches forward. A small group of vampires dwells at the outer ring of the city. Thamiezel's goblin companion spots a six legged creature raised as livestock. He runs over to the animal, a little larger than a rabbit, and begins devouring it hungrily. The vampires attempt to drive off the hungry goblin with threats and by hitting him with sticks, but he is far too hungry to be pushed away. Thamiezel walks up to the goblin's attackers.

"Tell your friend to stop!" one of the vampires says.

"I'm sorry. We haven't eaten in a very long time."

"Well then, you'd better pay us back."

"I will when I can… I must ask, when was the Earth attacked?"

The people begin to laugh at his obliviousness.

"How… how the heck can't you know?"

"Come on. Pretend I am an utter idiot who stumbled out of the woods just now and has no recollection due to a coma."

"Thamiezel has fallen. His queen is in hiding. And the angels are searching the worlds. Anyone who stands against them is killed."

"… how long since the fall of Earth?"

"You really are an idiot. It has been one year."

"Well… wait, do you mean years of this world?"

"Of course. Which planet's cycle do you think we are using?"

"It doesn't matter. I am simply a traveling minstrel, and this is my patsy. Come along patsy!"

"You owe us for that meal."

"Oh, right… uh… hold on a second."

Thamiezel grabs the goblin and teleports away, leaving the shouting and confused vampires behind. The strange companions emerge from the shadows of an alley. Thamiezel begins reaching out, trying to gain control of his new powers. But the confusion and fury of emotions from the minds retakes him. He grabs his head in pain before blocking out the other thoughts again.

"For now, let's keep low. I do not desire to reveal myself yet."

"Why not?"

"Because I need to protect Zelestra above all others… she would risk herself if she knew I was here. And the angels would attempt to take her from me. I will not risk that, no matter how small the chance. I have come too close to losing her. _I _will find _her_."

"There are many worlds to search. I hope we are not too late."

"We are not."

"But the angels have halted their assault. They may have slain your queen."

"No… no, they don't desire her death. They want her to return to them. When I told you I had moved the Heavens for the one I loved? I did not entirely lie. I had one of my friends in the other world travel there."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Then they may have taken her."

"Maybe. But I believe that the angels are simply waiting. Waiting for my sister to reveal herself. But she is not foolish enough to challenge them in open battle. Not even if all our worlds were set aflame."

Thamiezel continues walking with his goblin friend. The two travel down a road covered in streetlights, giving the street the appearance of the stars.

"The night is so beautiful, is it not?" asks the resurrected king.

"It is, my master."

"… judging by the answer given by those vampires back there… it has been at least one year in Earth's time, with maybe several more months, since Earth has been attacked…"

The goblin looks down in worry.

"We… I hope that Arella hasn't been killed."

"I don't believe so. These angels… they are powerful, and the Esylions are driven by hatred for those who dwell in the night. But the angels' master, Abraham, he is a soldier, not a butcher. He will not come against us in open war. He will simply wait for the opportune moment, even if it takes hundreds of years."

The goblin sighs, relieved by Thamiezel's words. Thamiezel walks past an open window. He looks in to see a peculiar sight. Werewolves, vampires, goblins, and various shadowy spirits sit in what appears to be a tavern. A screen displays the current events that are occurring in the empire. Thamiezel walks in, desiring to meet with the different species.

"How will this help?" the goblin asks.

"It may or may not. But I want to see what is happening."

Thamiezel walks to the bar and sits down between two vampires.

"Well then, it's been some time since I have had a drink." Thamiezel says. Samuel sits with a group of its own kind, who order food for the starved goblin.

"Who might you be?" the bartender asks, a blue demon with bat wings coming from his head.

"Dee."

"That's it? Dee?"

"Mother wasn't very creative."

"I see that. So, which type of blood or bodily fluid would you prefer?"

"Let's see. What's free?"

"Pig blood."

"Very well."

"So, what brings you here?"

"Nothing much. Simply travelling with my friend… You're from Inferno, correct?"

"Yes."

"When did you leave?"

"About six hundred years ago. Once the human race started losing ground, it became a lot easier for us to rise up there. Now the galaxy's filled with our kind."

"Humans. Silly species, weren't they?"

"You're the one to talk. Looks like you were one at a time."

"Don't remind me."

Thamiezel and the bartender laugh together. Thamiezel receives his drink and begins sipping the blood.

"So then, what are you doing here? I've never met you or your smelly friend before."

"We're looking for someone. He and his lover were separated in the evacuation of the Earth."

"A lot of people were scattered then. Most have moved into the other cities by now."

"So… is there any information about what has happened?"

"There may be information at the great tower."

"Thank you."

Thamiezel finishes his drink and goes to find his goblin friend.

"Come along, Sam."

Thamiezel and Samael walk out of the bar. Thamiezel considers his options as they walk down the street. He could attempt to find the information he needs from the large tower in the center of the city. But he needs to learn to use his new powers. He begins to reopen his mind. He allows the thoughts of the planet to wash over him, enveloping his senses. He holds his head in pain as he tries to focus, clearing away the thoughts that do not involve pain and loss. He clears through the mad wave of emotions as he searches through the inhabitants of the city. His gaze pierces through buildings, flesh, and soul.

"This… this is fun. Snooping on everyone at the same time… no wonder he enjoys it."

"Who?"

"Nobody, no one."

Thamiezel continues his searching, focusing on every mind. But he does not find what he is looking for. He turns his gaze upwards, staring out into the heavens. He stares towards the minds of the other worlds for a sign. The thoughts are weak and far away, so Thamiezel grabs his companion and travels with him to another world. Thamiezel searches through the minds of the different worlds for a sign of Arella or his sister. He finally discovers the thoughts of the goblin's companion. Arella sits weeping in her twilit home in one of the many towering monoliths on the planet Seloris.

"Let's go, my friend."

Thamiezel grabs his goblin friend and teleports again. The two find themselves before an iron doorway.

"What is this?"

"Arella's home."

Before the goblin can yell or knock, Thamiezel smashes his own face against the entrance. He continues smacking his skull into the iron door, giggling deliriously. The door opens and the vampire Arella glares with rage.

"Who are you?"

"I… am unbalanced."

Thamiezel falls down lifelessly, allowing Arella to see behind him. She sees the hunched over goblin that she fell in love with. She begins crying tears of blood as she steps over Thamiezel's body, crushing his back with her heels. She grabs the goblin into a hug and brings him inside. Thamiezel stands and walks in.

"My little Georgey!" Arella says.

Thamiezel hears the real name of the goblin and laughs to himself.

"Georgey… ha! I remember you!"

"You insult my lover's name?! And who are you?!"

"My name? I have had many names… I believe my favorite is still Thamiezel, although the first will always hold a special place in my organ cluster."

Arella blinks in surprise as the apparent dead ruler reveals himself.

"Thamiezel… he was destroyed by the angels."

"It is him. He survived. He found me and brought me here."

Arella walks over and embraces Thamiezel. He pats her awkwardly on the back before stepping away.

"Arella. We meet again. You were just a little vampire with little kid fangs last we met."

"How? You… you were destroyed."

"My mind shattered like glass into infinite pieces across the void, and I have returned because not even that could stop me."

"I… I'm glad you're back."

"Thank you. Well then, I'd best be off."

"Where are you going?"

"To finish this little game. To destroy the angels who would dare violate the treaty between Paradise and Inferno!"

"With all due respect… haven't you violated the treaty too?"

Thamiezel begins laughing through his teeth, knowing that he has not technically violated the treaty. He vanishes from the room in an instant. Arella and Georgey look around for their vanished king. He reappears outside the great tower and begins walking through the streets of the moonlit world.

"_Now then… how to reach Mabel._"

Thamiezel's mind extends past the heavens, searching his many worlds. He travels through them, crossing forests and cities, realms of volcanic ash and cold, dark, and frozen lands. But as the days go by, he finds no mention or whisper of her. He knows that his most trusted forces can block others from seeing into their mind, and he knows that his sister has the same strength. He realizes that she keeps only her most powerful, trusted servants knowledgeable.

"She is a smart one."

Thamiezel attempts to search out and focus his mind on penetrating the defenses of others, but he is still too weak to gaze into the hidden thoughts. Thamiezel looks up towards the heavens, seeing the countless stars and worlds his sister could be hiding upon.

"Well then… only several quintillion other planets to search… it shouldn't be too hard."

He teleports to one of the more inhabited worlds. Hundreds of cities now dwell upon the surface, each built with a dark tower in the center in the shape of Thamiezel's old stronghold. He walks down the street before coming across several vampiric spirits.

"Hello, where is Zelestra?"

"No one knows."

"Oh dear. Well, I guess I'll keep looking."

Thamiezel wastes his hours mentioning Zelestra to the various creatures that occupy the world. He asks any around if they have information about the queen. But he knows that it is hopeless. Instead he desires to draw out one who would defend the queen's location. Within several hours he is approached by three great vampires. The three together could have nearly matched him before he found his new power. He feigns a battle with the vampires, barely using any of his strength while dueling with them. He is cast down by the vampiric forces and held in place by several weapons that glow with dark energy.

"I… just wanted to know where Zelestra was."

The creatures crush and throw about their hidden king, seemingly weakening him. The mangled form of their ruler is taken away by the vampires. They drag him to the center of the citadel, past the questioning gazes of onlookers. He is brought deep down into the lower pits, away from all other eyes. He is bound with powerful chains of fire; the chains have arcane symbols ingrained into them to give them power over the prisoner.

"Please… this is entirely unnecessary."

The vampires move aside, allowing a weaker vampire to enter the room.

"And you are?" Thamiezel asks.

"Grand Inquisitor Castor. Before I begin, I would ask you why you are searching for our queen."

"Because I am lonely and she is pretty."

The inquisitor sighs in aggravation as he prepares the instruments of torture. The vampires stand guard as the interrogator begins to use the weapons deadliest to the vampires against Thamiezel. The captured king first has a blessed cross glowing with angelic fire brought to his chest. The weapon burns into his skin, searing deep into his flesh and muscles. Thamiezel groans in apparent agony, but his smile has not faltered.

"I've had worse."

The interrogator then finds several jagged necklaces with starlight power embedded within diamonds. He holds them with gloves to avoid hurting his own body.

"Ooh, sparkly."

The necklace is lifted onto Thamiezel's neck. The light begins to burn his skin as the end of the necklace is pulled back, choking Thamiezel. He mumbles in pain as he is choked and strangled by the powerful tool. But his deranged smile remains unchanged.

"You will tell us why you are looking for her."

"I hear her husband is dead and I'm single."

The torture begins to become far more brutal. The vampires take turns beating Thamiezel to the ground. They kick and mutilate his body and pull back his fingers. They rip out his nails and several of his fangs.

"Come now. I've had worse from my mother."

Thamiezel has his eyes pierced with silver blades that sear into his mind and body. His body is dropped into vats of Heavenly water until his skin has completely seared off. The torture causes Thamiezel to scream and sob in agony, but after it ends he returns to smiling psychotically. He seems to enjoy suffering the horrid pain. The torturer has gone from asking Thamiezel, to shouting commands at him, to all but pleading with him to speak so the inquisitor no longer has to bear the screams and sounds of agony.

"Tell us! Just tell us and we'll stop!" the inquisitor bellows as the vampire guards watch in horror.

"I already told you. I want to know where Zelestra is. You are a bit thick, aren't you?"

Thamiezel simply laughs with mad chattering teeth, exposed to the air as his lips have been burned off. He simply continues grinning as his body falls apart and decays over the course of several hours. His pale skin has been flayed off, revealing the dark, murky muscles beneath. His left arm and right leg dangle by a thread. And yet he still smiles at his capturers. The powerful vampires are broken by the resilience of their prisoner. They shift away in fear of their seemingly unbreakable captive.

"I told you… I simply desire to speak with Zelestra."

The vampires leave their broken victim down below. The one that had tortured him backs away in horror.

"What the hell are you?"

The eyeless husk of Thamiezel moves his head towards the male vampire, who cries tears of blood at what he has done. Thamiezel breathes deep of the air. Despite all skin missing from his body and his lips having been torn off he still manages to appear smiling.

"I am he who is unseen. Get it? Because my eyes are completely fucked."

The torturer backs away in disgust at what he has done. He turns and barfs onto the floor as he shakes in sadness and fear.

"You… you know how to tickle a guy, don't you? I look forward to meeting you again."

The torturer squirms away, leaving Thamiezel alone. As his body lies decrepit and broken, his mind travels through the fortress. He follows the vampiric guards down the darkened tunnels and through the deep caverns. The vampires finally come to the lowest pit. They enter a doorway and come before an altar. The vampires light candles in ceremony around statues of two great gargoyles, each crowned with iron thorns impaled in their skull. A shroud of red mist lies before the altar. The vampires begin their summoning. A dark shadow with flowing black hair and piercing red eyes appears before the vampires.

"My Lady." they say with a bow.

"Why have you summoned me?" Zelestra asks in a voice filled with hate. He sees her. She has changed. Her voice is seeded with hate and sorrow. The same pain that bore into his own soul over the course of hundreds of years until he became the vampire Thamiezel, filled with vengeance and madness in his heart. He sees through the mists of the veil to the world his sister hides on. He gazes through the thoughts and minds of others on that world, attempting to discern their location. He hears them call their world Cul-Cerberon. Thamiezel laughs in his thoughts, knowing the name of that world and its location in the cosmos.

"There is a prisoner here… he was searching for you."

"And this is reason to risk my location? I should eviscerate you all…"

"He will not break… his body is broken, yet his mind is intact. I do not know what he is, but he appears to be one of our kind."

Zelestra gazes curiously through the veil.

"I will take a message from him."

"Yes, my lady."

But by the time the guards return, Thamiezel's body lies dead in chains. The great mind of Thamiezel has abandoned the broken and mangled form, flying past stars and worlds to the location of his sister. He hears the thoughts of others as he moves through the cosmos, ready to be reunited with his love.

But he stops in front of a world, curious as to the great presence that he feels there. He listens to the planet, seemingly abandoned of all life. Thamiezel lands on the barren world. It is a great desert and any life that may have lived there has long since turned to dust. Yet the great voice still speaks, whispering in a dreamlike state. Thamiezel begins walking through the wastelands. He hunts for many hours for the eerie, calming whisper. The voice sooths the fury in his heart, but it is simply a powerful spell attempting to take hold of his mind. The voice seems to echo from every location, whispering in old languages and drifting through worlds. It is one mind, yet its presence is greater than all those upon a planet teeming with life.

"What in the name of me is this?" Thamiezel says aloud. He floats across the planet, searching like an easily distracted pet. Thamiezel eventually finds where the voice is strongest. He comes upon a range of mountains. The mountain range stands taller than any upon the dead Earth, and the ring of mountains seems to weave around in a great circle, enveloping a dried, cracked land that stretches into the horizon. The dead area could easily encircle the entirety of one of Earth's continents. Thamiezel's mind is nearly overwhelmed by the voice. He feels a painful throbbing in his mind as he searches the area. He gazes downward, looking through the ground to see if the great mind is buried within, yet he finds nothing but rock and a dead planet's core.

Thamiezel restores his human body. He sits down and crosses his legs, listening to the dreaming entity. Thamiezel allows the voice to enter his mind. He listens for hours as the other presence speaks of ancient worlds, long since destroyed or forgotten. The voice whispers of old species. Some Thamiezel recognizes from long forgotten worlds, of which the only remnant is old texts and whispers in legend. Others have evolved and mutated over the ages, surviving into the modern times. The only remnant of their old glory is mentioned in myth. Thamiezel sees the memories of the first vampires. Monstrous beings that could devour entire worlds by simply being near them. Entities fueled by endless hunger. They were fleshy lumps filled with hundreds of eyes and sensory organs and covered in razor sharp tentacles and fang filled elephant-like trunks. He sees that their raw power was too much for them. If they had halted their endless search to devour life they would lose their powers and become shapeless, dread spirits unable to harm anything. They were powerful, yet flawed creations. The voice then speaks of the old powers that dwelled before Paradise and Inferno. The Children of the First were the voice's enemies. Thamiezel listens as the dreams turn into nightmares at the thoughts of the creature's master.

The voice had served a great evil. A great spirit of madness that had once desired to control all other minds as a supreme king. As it came to realized it could not fully subvert the wills of others, even if it were to devour all souls in the cosmos, its mind turned towards darker paths. It desired to ruin all things and tear creation down to the roots. To reverse the process that began infinity, ensuring that nothing existed. It tormented its own servants as greatly as its enemies. It desired to shatter their minds with torture and pain, and then continue smashing against their sanity until nothing was left. It was a great insanity that had torn and broken pieces of its own soul to create endless soldiers to fuel its need to destroy all things, and thus its own spirit and power withered and faded until it was far too weak to harm others. It became a shapeless wound in the cosmos that was only allowed to rule because its servants still feared its cruelty. The great evil is nameless, yet Thamiezel feels the darkness with the mere knowledge of it. The First Evil, from before all other monsters.

Thamiezel awakens from his trance. He stands up and attempts to awaken the creature.

"Hello! Wake up! Wake up! It's time for school!"

Thamiezel's prodding and screaming seems to fall on deaf ears. But as he begins to leave, a great tremor shakes the ground. The dreaming thoughts cease and the mind Thamiezel had listened to has sealed itself to the dark lord's prodding. Thamiezel falls as the ground breaks apart and crumbles beneath the surface of the planet.

"Oh dear, he's definitely not a morning person."

Thamiezel sees the mountains quake and rise up. The entire world shakes as the great creature awakens from its slumber. Thamiezel comes to realize that the mountains were the jagged spine of an ancient and gigantic monster. He sees the lizard-like head of the beast as it awakens with a cacophony of sound. The monster roars, sending Thamiezel to the ground and rupturing his ears. The sound shakes the entire planet as the dragon rises. Its feet are greater than Thamiezel's tower, capable of crushing entire nations beneath them. With the flapping of its wings, the beast sends thousands of hurricanes and tremors across the planet. Its mouth appears as a gigantic volcano, spewing fire and ash and dripping magma. Thamiezel squeals in delight as the creature's head circles around, blocking out the light of the star as it zooms overhead. The creature looks around for the voice that had disturbed him.

"I am right here." Thamiezel says.

The dragon's head slithers back around, rumbling and cracking with the sound of moving stone and metal. The creature turns and stares at the pest before it. The beast opens its great jaws as a powerful voice whispers in Thamiezel's ears. The dragon speaks in an ancient tongue that Thamiezel has only heard of in the memories of the great celestial machine.

"Little creature. Who are you?" the great dragon asks.

"I am a traveler. And I heard your calling. You… are one of them. The first dragons. The world slayers. The sun eaters. A living volcano, spewing fire across entire worlds."

"And what does a simple traveler want with one such as I?"

"I need to make an entrance."

"What?"

"I am a performer, and like any great performer, I need to top my last show. I think this one will knock them dead."

"And… how does this concern me?"

The dragon's voice has gone from prideful taunting to confused and questioning. A lowly creature, apparently no more powerful than a parasite, has woken the dragon up for simple amusement.

"I need you, my big fun boy. You are quite beautiful. Not that I'd want to, you know, make love to you. Even if I did, the size difference is astronomical and probably wouldn't be fun for any of us."

"You… are mad."

Thamiezel laughs insanely as he floats up into the air. He comes to a stop before the creature's eyes.

"You've just noticed."

"What do you want with me?"

"You have slept for so long. The universe has been busy since you were last awake. Would you care to travel with me? To see how the cosmos have changed? I can offer you many things, my beautiful friend."

The dragon's body begins to turn bright. The sounds of metal and rock scraping and screeching together echo throughout the dead world. Thamiezel returns to the surface of the planet as the beast reforms into a smaller dragon. It walks towards Thamiezel, now of equal height to him.

"I accept."

"Good… I am glad."

Thamiezel extends a hand underneath the dragon's jaw, enjoying the feel of the living rock.

"You are… amazing."

"Your flattery is not unwelcome, but you have promised me many sights."

"Yes. But first… I would like you to return to your great size. I have a planet that will enjoy watching you appear. And a sister who is waiting for me."

Zelestra walks as a specter of twilight through the woods of the world she hides upon. She whispers in ancient Enochian to the creatures that dwell within the forest, singing to them in the world of twilight. She sings sadly, dwelling on the prisoner who had given her hope before dying. The man she thought might be her brother had fallen dead and his body had been reduced to a mangled, warped form before she could see it. Zelestra shifts away from the woods and back to her forces on the other edge of the world. It is many hours later as the far away sun moves through the sky.

"Noon. It is noon." she says to one of the trusted goblins.

"My lady. I am sorry your brother was not found."

Zelestra turns and smiles warmly at the being and embraces him. The creature tenses up, wondering if she will kill it, but instead she kisses him on the head.

"Thank you." Zelestra replies.

"You are kind, my lady."

Zelestra and her companion walk through the tower together.

"Thirty two years …" Zelestra says sadly. The goblin continues walking with her, looking up into her sad eyes.

"He… he'll be back… he must be." Zelestra mutters. She comes into a small room she uses as her throne. She sits and gazes at the stars, wondering what had happened to her brother all those years ago.

"He… he said he would be back… and then his power burned."

One of Zelestra's companions comes into the small room.

"Felicia." Zelestra says.

"Yes my lady?"

"Nothing… just, wondering."

"He will be back. From what you have said, he's survived worse than whatever fate has befallen him."

Zelestra smiles warmly at the reassurance.

"Thank you. And where is Arella?"

"She was at Zelestra Planet Six last we spoke."

"Or Seloris."

"Yes. Your brother loved you. Many promises are made to name stars after loved ones. He's mad enough to make due."

"Yes, he was… he was… simply Thamiezel."

The queen smiles weakly before moving away. Zelestra leaves the tower and walks amongst her people. Her form changes from the known appearance of the queen into a lowly, hunched shade. She walks among her soldiers and followers, listening to their voices and worries.

"I pray to the Lords of Twilight that we will not be abandoned." a vampire says as it sips a glass of blood.

"Those damned angels murdered our king. They consider the insane, ravenous Esylions to be worth more than us."

"That is the ways of Paradise. A false god leading an army of hypocrites and idiots."

"They would discard the mighty vampires for a species that would destroy itself if not for the angels aiding them."

Zelestra continues her searching. She comes upon another pair. A goblin walking hand in hand with a beautiful, raven-haired vampire. Zelestra walks forward to meet them.

"And who might you be?" Arella asks.

"Nobody that matters."

Arella walks up and embraces Zelestra.

"You matter."

"Thank you."

Zelestra begins weeping again and the other vampire offers her a shoulder in friendship.

"Come now. Let's go to my home."

Zelestra travels with the pair of lovers down the walkways, glistening with starlight and the lights from buildings.

"You know… before I was changed… I never realized how beautiful the night is." Zelestra says.

"It is beautiful. There is so much detail and color. Few who dwell in the light can see it."

"I hope one day our worlds will be one."

"That is a long time away…"

The three walk down the streets of the city and come to a large building. Arella invites her guest into the home. The hidden queen sees several pictures of the goblin and his vampire companion. Zelestra smiles, knowing that even though the Earth had been laid to waste, that there was still something that remained; the desire to remember loved ones. Zelestra sits down upon a cushion as Arella goes towards another room. Zelestra smirks as she sees Arella open a refrigerator.

"What is so amusing?" Georgey asks as Arella returns with glasses of blood.

"I remember the vampire myths of old from when I was human. They were considered monsters and evil beings. But I always find reminders that we're just the same underneath."

"So… you knew the humans before the war? What were they like?"

"Angry, vicious, hateful… but there was hope for them… hope they could become better… but Thamiezel ruined that hope."

"I would not speak poorly of our master… we don't know which hall or shadow he might emerge from." Georgey says, as if he's afraid Thamiezel could be watching.

"I know… he offered so much to others, but he took so much away."

"But why?"

"I don't know. I've never met him before." Zelestra says with a knowing smirk. Arella is the one to respond.

"I met the king before. My mother has a higher rank than others in the kingdom. She had us in the tower for my birthday. Many felt hope as they looked upon it, knowing it was the seat of the one who had saved them many times before. Others wept for what it had replaced. The green of the woods and countless lives lost. But I believe it was his grief that drove him. When I saw him, he was broken. But when he looked upon his queen it was like his soul returned. His smile. It was warm and friendly, not the face of a monster."

"There are those we lose and our hearts ache for a while. And there are those we lose and nothing can numb the pain… Can you imagine it? Trapped, powerless and immortal, as all you love succumb to old age and death… it would drive anyone insane."

I know… when I lost Georgey here… I felt empty. I could not bear the pain… like someone ripped my soul in two."

"How did you find him again?"

The vampire and her goblin lover shift their gaze in fear, not willing to incur the anger of their master by breaking their vow of silence.

"He found me. He managed to scavenge a ship together with his brilliant mind. He traveled across worlds in search of me… it seems fate was kind that day."

"And you knew she lived here?" Zelestra asks the goblin.

"I didn't. I searched the worlds and found her on Seloris. Or Zelestra Planet Six."

"Why have you moved?"

"We desired a new world. A renewal, away from the sorrows of the past."

Zelestra smiles warmly at their reasoning.

"It is rather silly, isn't it?" Arella says.

"No… I think it's nice."

Zelestra takes a sip of blood. She looks out through the window at the far away star in the sky. And as she does, she notices something. A dragon-like silhouette appears before the sun. Yet it does not move its wings for flight. It simply appears motionless.

"What is that?" Arella asks.

"I don't know."

Arella opens the window and flies out with Zelestra. The two vampires stare at the dragon. While the wings do not appear to move, the dragon seems to be coming further into view.

"Is that a dragon?"

"It… I must go."

Zelestra flees as a shadow towards the citadel. She reforms with her goblin and dragon soldiers and finds, to her horror, that the silhouette appears unchanged, save for coming closer to their world.

"What in the name of the Orudrum is that?" a goblin says.

"Prepare the defenses." Zelestra orders.

The alarm is sounded. The armies of the undead are assembled. The dragons and vampires and werewolves combine their forces. But their morale shatters with the oncoming monster. The great shape of the dragon begins to blacken all the light from the stars. The ground shakes and the people flee in terror. The monster covers the entirety of the night sky as it continues to come closer.

"What is this… what the hell is this?" Zelestra says.

The great creature slows its descent and flies past the city, sending shockwaves and great winds across the planet as it moves overhead. The creature soars back into the sky before glowing bright red. The sounds of scraping metal and screeching steel echo through the world as the people prepare for their demise. The dragon returns to the world, yet it is now far smaller. The great dragon flies back towards the citadel, coming straight for Zelestra. She sees a hollow light in its eyes, piercing into her mind. She stands strong as the dragon, still thousands of feet tall, lands at the outskirts of the city. The great beast tramples forests and creatures as it approaches. Zelestra and her army move against the creature, preparing to fight to the death. They charge through the air at the great beast. The dragon moves its wings, sending the army crashing into the ground. They can only watch in terror as the dragon moves closer. Zelestra stands, meeting the creature's eyes. The entity's mouth seems to crack and move into a smile as it leans its head down, bowing before Zelestra. She watches curiously as a tall figure walks to the edge of the dragon's back, glaring into the eyes of the lower creatures with a haunting gaze. She stares down her opponent, unafraid of the end. But what happens next completely confuses and baffles the entire army. The dark figure at the top steps down the dragon's spine and begins gliding down its neck, apparently using the dragon as a slide. The figure speeds down to the bottom and flies upward, spinning in the air. Zelestra listens closely as the strange enemy flips and twirls past her forces.

"Weeeeee!"

The dark figure continues flying, spinning and twisting like a mad performance artist. He falls through the air towards several buildings and lands unceremoniously in a pile of garbage. The sounds of clanging metal and glass breaking echo through the air. The great dragon changes shape again, becoming only slightly larger than a man. Yet the army's attention is not on the dragon. They are staring, dumbfounded, at the insane jester that lies broken and twitching in the pile of garbage. Zelestra approaches with her army. Her rage and will to fight have been defused. She approaches the broken figure. His limbs are bent and broken and his fingers are warped. Glass is sticking out of his arms and a pole is impaled through his leg. He giggles and wheezes in pain as a top hat and broken cane lie beside him.

"I… need to work on the landing."

Zelestra runs up, recognizing her brother's voice. She digs him out of the trash as he stares unfocused and dazed at the sky.

"Such pretty colors."

"My… brother."

Thamiezel's deranged grin is replaced by a warm smile. Zelestra slaps him painfully. His neck snaps backwards and he giggles in pain. Zelestra begins crying as her brother repairs his broken spine. He wraps his sister in his arms, embracing her for the first time in thirty two years. Zelestra weeps into her brother's shoulder.

"Dipper… my Dipper."

"Now, now. Those names are for us alone to know."

She moves away and stares worriedly at him.

"Where were you?"

"I was… delayed. Many things have happened to my mind. We have much to discuss. Much to talk about. So many interesting things to tell you."

The great dragon approaches, watching in amusement at his strange companion. Zelestra turns to see the dragon, which was once large enough to blot out all light, bow before her. She bows in return before the two move up and look at each other.

"So you are his sister."

"And you are?"

"Nameless for many years I once was. But your brother has taken to calling me… Waddles."

Zelestra stifles a laugh as her brother removes the glass and metal from his body.

"My brother. Let's go to the tower. And your new friend can come along as well."

The twins and the dragon walk towards the tower. Thamiezel hears his name begin to spread through the city, whispered by some as a sign of hope, and in hushed tones and curses by those who fear his madness. Thamiezel approaches one of the guards outside the citadel.

"What is it, my master?"

"Spread the word… I want all corners of the galaxy and beyond to know of my return. Wherever it may go, I want my name heard. The angels will know of my return… and have someone bring us meat."

"Meat?"

"Yes… Various meats. And other foods. And drinks. And spices. Lots of tasty spices."

The goblin guard goes to retrieve his master's strange request. Thamiezel smirks in amusement as he hears the thoughts of the guard.

"_That wonderful lunatic is back. I missed him._"

Thamiezel and his sister soar up the tower like a shadow as the dragon flies to the very top. They come to the large balcony and Zelestra's hidden throne. The twins sit with their new ally as several vampires and other monsters run in. They carry a large table and several chairs for the twins to sit on. Thamiezel sits with his sister and the dragon. She looks at the great creature with wonder and awe. Her eyes are like a happy puppy as she watches the strange dragon made of stone and metal move around.

"Your sister seems amused by me."

"Yes. She has a fondness for other creatures. A left over of our human past."

"If you are as old as you say, how do you know English?" Zelestra asks.

"I did not at first… but your brother has a very peculiar power. He gave me this knowledge. The languages of your worlds… so many tongues and words. There were not these many before I had slept."

"Were there any like us? Humans?"

"Humans… there were some in the past who appeared as you. Creatures who walked on two legs."

"What were they like?"

"Most were no taller than you. They were not that strong on their own. But they proved to be easily malleable."

"How rude."

"So, since the beginning of time, greater powers have used us as puppets. It seems some things never change." Thamiezel says.

"There is little I know of the old world… tell me, who were these powers?" Zelestra asks.

"There was once a council of the first divine. They called themselves the Children of the First. They were said to be the first entities to be born in the universe, perhaps before. They wanted to raise their younger siblings and give them the beauty of the gods and command over the stars. They desired to teach the new children to use their weakness as strength. But there were others who desired control over the newcomers. They came from an old world. A realm ruled by the whims of an insane god. My people have the curse of forever calling him our creator."

Thamiezel remembers hearing the whispers of the old world from the dragon's sleep. He wonders if the Children may be the creators of Paradise and the other king the founder of Inferno.

"_No… They would not be the same powers… The Children of the First desired to rise up our ancestors, not control them blindly. And the powers of Inferno are more interested in pleasure than utter ruin._"

"But enough about realms long since disappeared. Who are these new powers? Inferno and Paradise?"

Thamiezel looks at the dragon and begins to speak of the new empires.

"Paradise is known to be ruled by one supreme ruler. His loyal dogs believe him to be the infinite creator of our existence. But he dare not step off his throne. For if his servants see he must exert the smallest effort it will reveal the façade of his power. Inferno is not so much ruled as it is inhabited. Some flock to the greater demons for protection, but there is no true master. There is simply indulging in any sin if you can get away with it. An eternal party where the vice has gotten far out of hand. It may have been founded by remnants from that First Hell."

"So, before you went into your slumber, what happened?" Zelestra asks.

"There… there was a war. And I would not partake in its madness any longer."

"Smart move." Thamiezel replies.

"Tell me, Waddles the Second, what was this war?" Zelestra asks.

"I…" the dragon loses the will to speak. He would not dare bring back the memories of the chaos he had lived through.

"You don't need to speak, my friend… I have seen the memories of that war. A war that should never have needed to be fought."

Zelestra turns towards her brother as he looks into the eyes of the great dragon with sympathy. Sympathy he never gave to anyone but her. She allows the topic to drop, not wishing to further hurt the dragon.

Thamiezel watches as a host of servants enter their chambers, bringing a large feast for their masters. Yet Thamiezel declines the food at first, allowing the dragon to take its choice. The beast tastes the delicacies for the first time, savoring the strange and new flavors.

"Ooh, Vulsarian blood!" Zelestra says as her favorite drink is presented to her. The dragon samples the blood, slurping in with its volcanic tongue. And then it devours the mug, enjoying the taste of glass far more than the fluids. Several large piles of meat are presented to the dragon. It devours the different animals, savoring the taste and texture. Thamiezel watches as his sister and the dragon eat. He lifts up a leg, raw and covered in blood, and begins eating.

"I always enjoy this particular animal." Thamiezel says.

"Me too, my brother. Although I prefer it cooked… with a side of barbeque sauce."

"Barbeque sauce? I would like to try some." the dragon says in a curious voice.

Thamiezel has a goblin bring up a container of sauces and toppings for the dragon to taste. The creature slowly tastes each one until it is satisfied.

"This world has many flavors. I find this one to be the most delicious." Waddles says as he lifts up a scrap of bone.

"Pork. Everyone still loves it. A shame, since pigs are such intelligent beasts." Zelestra says.

"There are fates worse than death."

"Indeed." Thamiezel responds.

After the dragon feeds, he takes his leave and goes to wander the city.

"Remember. No eating the smarter creatures. My sister and I can't be ruling a kingdom if our servants get devoured."

"I would not dream of it."

Thamiezel smirks as his new companion leaves the tower to travel amongst the strange world. Zelestra meets her brother's gaze. He turns to her, smiling warmly as he kisses her. He tastes her delicate lips and slides his tongue into her mouth. She pulls closer, filled with heat and desire. But her brother pushes her away. She grumbles in frustration before realizing that her servants are still in the room, watching.

"Leave." Zelestra demands. The servants begin shuffling out of the room, leaving the twin vampires alone.

"My sister."

Thamiezel brings Zelestra into his arms, caressing her as tears of joy fill his eyes.

"What happened? You… you burned."

Thamiezel parts with his sister, preparing to tell her what had driven him mad and broken his spirit into a hundred pieces.

"I… I found it. The hundred slayer."

"You… you did?"

"Yes. The strange machine was buried beneath the moon like we thought. It was… beautiful. Serene. I walked through mazes where gravity switched in seconds. I followed the corridors of the creature's metal body until I came to its core. I attempted to consume it. I began devouring its power and energy. So much power… but it was… alive. The machine had memories. A soul. And I had not safeguarded my mind... the memories. So many memories. They washed over me. They drowned me."

Zelestra weeps as she listens to her brother's words.

"You… mentioned a war."

"Yes… the second great war of creation. The machine spoke with its creator… it mentioned the first war. Taking thousands or perhaps even millions of years. Small skirmishes throughout the young cosmos… but this… was a war of malice and hate… it did not last as long… but it was far more… ruinous."

"What do you mean?"

"The first war was for the sake of new life… The Children of the First wanted to free the new life from the bonds of the ruler of the First Hell. But this war was for the sake of their hate and wrath… they saw the insanity of their brethren and desired to end him. Can you imagine it? Millions upon millions of soldiers, the weakest capable of destroying planets with no effort, upon the plains of Infinity. They used their powerful magic to drag the entirety of the dark kingdom from its own dimension and force it upon the plains of their own realm. They decided that no matter the cost or the victor, this would be the end. What had come to pass in those days was insanity. I felt what the machine felt. A million deaths and wounds on its soul. Destroyed, only to be revived and thrown back into the war. Smashed with weapons and powers designed not simply to destroy, but to cause pain in the depths of your mind and soul. So much pain. A battle where the very fabric of the universe was ruined and broken. A war where the greatest powers in creation fought endlessly side by side with their armies until the day of ruin."

Zelestra embraces her brother, nearly suffocating him as she holds tightly. She whimpers in sadness as she chokes on sobs.

"I love you… never do that again."

"No promises." he replies with a laugh. He lifts her head up, gazing into her eyes.

"You… how did you return?"

"Well… it seems my single-mindedness has finally brought me luck… your voice… I could hear your voice and I followed. I fought past the madness and reformed my body and power. A thousand pieces of my soul, coming back together because they heard your call."

"But your powers. Can we defeat Abraham now?"

"More… so much more. I can hear the people of this world now. Every voice and thought and feeling. I can gaze past the stars and see other galaxies. I can see things I never could before. And I can destroy. I could erase this world with little effort. I can do the same to all worlds and stars. Within several days I can ensure our galaxy does not exist. Would you care to share in my power? I can give you the gift with none of the, you know, mind shattering lunacy."

Zelestra laughs with her lover as he turns her around. He faces the pair towards a star. His mind zooms forward, and his presence allows Zelestra to see through his eyes. The pair's minds come to a halt before the dead Earth, looking at the old tower where they once lived. Jagged peaks and walls of iron fall upon the dead landscape and smash into pieces. Thamiezel turns with his lover towards one of their new worlds. Their eyes fall upon one of the many skyscrapers built up, zooming through the steel. Thamiezel stares into an empty room, wondering where his new friends are.

"What are we looking for?"

"There was a goblin… and Arella. You remember?"

"Arella… She is here."

"Really?"

"Yes. She came to this world to start a new life. It seems fate wants us to stay together."

"Well then, we will have to meet with them again."

Thamiezel turns towards his queen, meeting her crimson eyes.

"…I don't know if I will always be able to protect you." Thamiezel whispers.

"Then give me this power."

Thamiezel brings Zelestra into a kiss. He allows half of his power to pass through to his sister, keeping the dark memories in his own mind. Zelestra feels her brother's power become hers as he deepens their kiss.

The kiss becomes more and more heated. Zelestra grabs her brother and flies towards the wall, slamming him into it. She glares into his eyes with hunger as she feels the rush of power. Great wings of fire emerge from her back and she envelops her brother within. She kisses down his neck as she blocks out all the thoughts of others. Thamiezel's and Zelestra's clothing disappears as they continue their animalistic love. Zelestra sinks her teeth into her brother's neck. Thamiezel feels his energy drain and moans in pleasure. Zelestra moves back and allows Thamiezel to bite into her skin, drinking her blood. She kisses his head as she shivers in joy, enjoying the sensation of giving her power to another. Zelestra positions herself and Thamiezel enters her vagina.

He feels her ravenous heat as she grabs his hair and forces his face to hers, kissing him. He grabs her back and slides his hands down, cupping her buttocks in his hands. Thamiezel and Zelestra float towards the ceiling, smashing violently into the top of the tower. A powerful quake shakes the building as Thamiezel thrusts in, eliciting a yelp of pleasure from his queen. Zelestra squeezes her brother between her legs as he continues thrusting into her. Her wings begin to glow brighter as she moves with her brother's rhythm. She squeals and moans with delight as her brother continues his ferocious pumping. Zelestra bites down into his shoulder as she grinds and jolts against Thamiezel. Their bodies become hot and their eyes burn with lust and love.

Zelestra flies with her brother and crashes down into the table, sending a tremor through the city as Thamiezel continues to thrust in deep and fast. He licks the beads of sweat from his sister's forehead like a mad dog. Zelestra opens her mouth and her tongue hangs out in blissful pleasure. Thamiezel sticks his tongue out and meets with hers. The twins' serpentine tongues flick and dance together in the open air, tasting and savoring each other's textures. Zelestra grabs ahold of her brother's back and digs her nails in as she flies forwards, crashing violently into the ceiling of the tower. The twins continue to lick and play with each other as Thamiezel's hand reaches for his sister's breast. He flicks her nipples and fondles her breasts as she forces her tongue down his throat.

The twins begin to lose control of their powers as they near the peak of their ecstasy. Great winds and flashes of crimson energy come from the tower as the twins moan and grunt loudly, unashamed of any hearing them.

Zelestra tilts back her head, releasing a flash of white light as she orgasms and screams.

"Oh fuck!"

Thamiezel forces in the rest of his energy as he growls. He sinks his teeth into Zelestra's shoulder as he finishes pounding in. They fall to the floor of the tower and close their eyes, panting and coughing in exhaustion.

"That… was wonderful, my sister."

"I… I have greatly missed your touch."

The twins lie naked upon the broken table as they steady their breathing.

"You know… we could easily repair our lungs and vocal cords… and not need to lay here breathing and panting like dogs." Thamiezel says.

"Then why… have you not done it?"

"… it's one of my favorite parts… the afterglow."

"Mine… mine too… a wonderful feeling."

Zelestra moves towards her brother's face and smiles. She holds his face to hers, greedily kissing and slurping out of his mouth with her tongue. The twins feel a gust of cold air.

"What on… not Earth?" Thamiezel says. He turns away from his sister and begins laughing. Zelestra turns her eyes away and realizes the twins vaporized the top of the tower with their lovemaking.

"Oh… oh dear. I hope the staff was not waiting by the doors." Zelestra says worriedly, nibbling on her fingernails, embarrassed by their instinctual love.

"Let me see… no, they are all accounted for. Although their comments are amusing."

"What are they saying?"

"Let me see… 'Yep, he's back.' 'Hopefully the cleanup isn't too bad.' 'The noise. I wouldn't be surprised if Paradise and Inferno heard that.' 'By the Orudrum, they'll hear it across the stars.'"

Zelestra laughs as her brother reveals the thoughts of their servants and the other people who dwell on their planet. The twins lie in the ruins of their tower, staring into the night sky. The great dragon Waddles approaches the tower and lands.

"Hello again, Waddles the Second." Zelestra says.

"I thought you would want to know that there is a warship approaching. It is not of your servants' designs."

Thamiezel and Zelestra reform their clothing as they watch the warship come into view above the city.

"Let's see… Esylions? Rude." Thamiezel says.

"They have been hunting me since the overthrow of Earth. I see their minds. They want to drag me back to the angels."

"And now they know where we are… perhaps they simply followed the rumor of my return… but I think that was far too quickly. I believe we have a traitor in our midst."

The ship hovers above the city. Thamiezel looks up as a white light beams down to the tower. A small enclave of Esylions descends to the roof. Their bodies are covered entirely in diamond-like armor, revealing no trace of their reptilian skin. Thamiezel stands, smiling, as he awaits his opponents.

"Now then, what does one such as you want with little ol' me?" Thamiezel asks the tallest warrior.

"Your presence is revealed. You will come with us."

"Ooh, are we having a party?"

The warrior grabs Thamiezel and burns the demonic ruler's body. He tosses the burnt body aside, thinking the rumor of Thamiezel to be a con. The alien warrior approaches the queen, who glares at him with malice and hate. Even though she knows her brother hasn't been killed, watching his body suffer brings her wrath to the surface.

"Your presence is revealed. You will come with us."

"And who has revealed me?" Zelestra asks with a thundering voice.

"Come with us."

"You will obey. Reveal to me the one who has betrayed my trust!"

Her voice topples the alien warriors. They stare as the queen approaches them. She glares deep into their minds and looks through their thoughts. They attempt to resist her, but her great power bears down as a mountain upon their will to fight. Their limbs fall lifelessly as their minds are rifled for information. Zelestra does not find what she needs, so her powerful mind leaves the aliens' thoughts. They shiver back to life, as if they had fainted and jerked back from a terrible nightmare. The burnt body of Thamiezel stands and walks with his queen. The aliens stare in horror as the mangled corpse moves as if he was not harmed in the slightest by the Esylion's power.

"What are you?" the Esylion asks with horror in its voice.

"I am Thamiezel."

"He is dead. He burned!"

"I did. And I have returned greater than before."

Thamiezel grins as the aliens begin to realize that Thamiezel has truly returned.

"Come now, Waddles. We need to find who told them." Thamiezel says while ignoring the Esylions.

"Where do we start?"

"I believe their home planet will be a good place to begin."

"Esylios. What do they taste like?"

"Bad. Their souls are too pure, their minds are boring and stiff… oh, you meant their flesh. I find it kind of stale."

The dragon, desiring to taste the new flesh, begins devouring the Esylion warriors. The arrogant and proud species attempts to fight back, but they are easily consumed by the great dragon. He inhales deeply as he faces the warship above.

"Ooh, this is gonna be good." Thamiezel says. He creates a cigar with his powers and puts it near the dragon's mouth.

The dragon exhales, bathing the sky in fire. Thamiezel watches the ship explode and turn to ash, which then rains down on the city. Thamiezel takes the cigar and puts it to his lips, inhaling deeply. He breathes out through his nostrils and destroys the cigar with his thoughts.

"Oh no. You burnt the food." Thamiezel says sarcastically while absorbing the souls of the Esylions.

"Food? I thought you said you disliked their taste."

"Oh, I do. It was a joke."

"Oh. That is funny."

"Thank you, Waddles. So, did you enjoy their taste?"

"It was… too clean. They were completely flavorless."

"They are obsessed with cleansing all sense from the body, which probably includes texture and any taste for their skin. A very dull species, as I said before."

"Then let's show them fire." Zelestra says gleefully.

Thamiezel steps onto the great dragon's back. He offers a hand to his sister and pulls her onto the beast's back.

"Come now. You always wanted to ride Waddles."

"Who was Waddles the First?" the dragon asks.

"He was my pig friend." Zelestra responds.

"You are very strange."

"You don't know the half of it." Thamiezel says. His sister elbows him playfully as the three are enveloped by an orb of fire. The group disappears from sight and reappears above the planet Esylios.

"Now then, while it would be fun to simply incinerate the planet, I want to keep our true power a secret. The last thing I need is for the angels to flee."

"Why does it matter?" the dragon asks.

"Because my sister has lost others she loves to the chains of Paradise. I want the angels to think they have the advantage. To walk willingly into our web with our family."

"And yet you allowed me to reveal myself?"

"It is all part of the plan. Make it seem as if I was in hiding, cowering with my sister away from the mighty angels. And then a slightly larger than normal dragon shows itself. People exaggerate size. Rumors extend beyond the truth. The angels know this… I want them to think you are my trump card. I want them to believe that the arrogant Thamiezel has found an obese dragon and revealed himself after healing. I want them to come against me again."

"… you're lying. You didn't plan this far ahead." Zelestra says with a grin.

"Yep. I actually have no idea what I'm doing. I probably should have kept Waddles hidden, but whatever."

The three deranged friends laugh together as they approach the planet. Thamiezel and Zelestra cloak themselves in the appearance of the Esylions while the dragon lands in the forests away from the largest city.

"Well then, I'll leave you to taste test this planet's creatures. We'll meet back in an hour. Earth time." Thamiezel says to Waddles.

"And how long is that?"

"I'll… hmm. There needs to be a universal time measurement system. How about when this planet's sun has set and it is night."

"Goodbye Waddles. Try not to attract too much attention." Zelestra says. She kisses the dragon on the nose before the twins vanish. As the twins leave, the dragon begins searching for prey. He finds a small rabbit-like creature digging a hole with its paws.

"Now then… what do you taste like?"

Thamiezel and Zelestra walk unseen amongst the great city. They stay close as they observe the fanatical culture. They mock the aliens for their obsessive devotion to Paradise.

"_Do these idiots remind you of anything, Dipper?"_

"_Humanity. The same self-hatred. The same façade of devotion and virtue. It is quite amusing to watch them."_

They reach out with their minds for mention of their names, but they find nothing.

"_Where do we begin to search, brother?" _

"_I would suspect the great church. We should split up to look for clues."_

"_That has never ended in anything good happening."_

"_Fine, we'll stick together."_ Thamiezel thinks while gazing at the large, towering cathedral dedicated to Paradise's worship.

Thamiezel and his sister travel shapelessly through the world. They move towards the grand cathedral and look past the countless worshipers who pray there. The twins float through the building, listening closely to the thoughts of others. The twin spirits move down the halls away from the worshipers and towards the inner chambers. They come upon ceremonial guards who stand motionless. The twins move past them into the splendid halls of the Esylions' highest authority. The millennia old ruler of the church walks through. The twins follow him up a staircase towards the very top of the church. They watch as he walks into a room filled with his advisors and several guards. The highest members of the church sit around a circular table.

"_Wait." _

"_What is it my brother?"_

"_A circle of power lies around this room. A way to call Paradise itself. The gates of Paradise might reveal our powers."_

The twins instead possess the guards who stand outside the doorway. They easily take control, hiding within the bodies of the Esylions.

"_We should seal our minds until we have left this place, my brother."_

"_Yes."_

The twins, possessing the guards, step inside the room. Thamiezel and Zelestra remain silent in their thoughts as they wait for the meeting to begin. The high priest stands and begins the prayer to summon the angels. Thamiezel and Zelestra watch as a beam of heavenly light appears to come down from above. A staircase extends from the light, and Abraham and Alice walk down accompanied by Alice's two sons.

"Let the will of our king bless you." Abraham says to the priest, who bows before the angel. The rest of the council stand and bow, followed by the guards. Thamiezel and Zelestra manipulate their puppets into bowing before the angels.

"You may stand."

The Esylion council stands back before the guards rise up.

"Let the one hundredth and forty second union of the church and Heaven begin." Abraham says. Alice Pines walks towards the doors. She leaves the room with her sons, uninterested in the obsessive rituals of the high council.

"We have… received word that a cleansing ship had gone to retrieve the enslaved one." one of the council members says.

"I told you to wait. Now you have exposed us to them."

"It was not my order. They left of their own accord."

"Arrogant fools."

"Our location is secure. Nothing can reach us here. And the dark servants are too weak to know of our ally."

"Call him."

The high council begins the call to summon their hidden ally. They place a black orb in the center of the room. They begin the spell to summon the betrayer. Thamiezel and Zelestra can see a familiar shape approaching as a shadow. They watch as the high council and the guards begin to fall into a deep slumber. The twins see the image of a pyramid begins shooting jolts of electricity around the room, and the appearance of their old enemy returns. They enter the dreamscape as the images of their possessed puppets, listening in on the conversation.

"_Hey, how's it going guys!"_ Bill Cipher says to the council and angel.

"_Hold back your tongue, blasphemer!"_ the high priest says.

"_Yeah, yeah. So Abe, what's been happening since our last chat?"_

"_The Esylion warriors were foolish enough to go forth without my aid."_

"_Not too bright."_

"_Do you know what has happened to them?"_

"_Shooting Star probably had them for dinner. And by that I mean she ate their faces."_

"_So they are dead."_

"_Yep. No doubt about it. Rumor is our pal is back too. They grow up so fast, don't they? I remember when he was just a wee squirt."_

Bill summons an image of Thamiezel when he was still Dipper Pines. Bill parades the duplicate around on puppet strings as entertainment, but the unamused angel disperses the image.

"_So how about you hold up your end of the bargain? Give me back my full power and I'll leave you fun fellows alone."_

"_Silence, demon. If you desire to be forgiven, you will help us defeat them."_

"_Fine, fine. But you'd better pay me back with interest, kid."_

"_When Mabel is returned to her husband, you will be restored."_

"'_Returned?' Man, you guys are funny. Anyways, if there's nothing else, I'd like to leave. There's a bitchin' new show by Shakespeare and his demon sidekick I don't want to miss."_

"_Very well. You will search their world Cul-Cerberon. If they have fled, then you will rediscover them. You may leave."_

Abraham himself is the one to break apart the mindscape, waking the council and guards up. Thamiezel and Zelestra awaken within their puppets.

"So… Mabel will most likely flee that world. But Bill should be able to find her again. Bring your soldiers under control. And you two. Summon Alice Pines." Abraham says. He points to the possessed guards. The twins give a bow before walking out of the room. The guards walk down the hall and away from the high council.

"So, my brother, shall we go?"

"Not yet. We have all the time in the world. So let's go find Alice."

"And where to begin?"

"Somewhere in the church. Then I don't know."

"So is this part of your plan, brother, or are you just doing things for no reason again?"

"No reason yet. Maybe we'll find one along the way."

The twins walk towards a large hall filled with chairs and tables, finding the only entities to be their descendants. Thamiezel and Zelestra walk over to the table.

"Already?" Alice says in a bored voice.

"Are you not satisfied with Paradise?" Thamiezel asks.

"I would not speak ill of them."

"It seems rather empty, though." Zelestra says. Alice turns towards the guards with a questioning gaze.

"It is not wise to speak ill of the divine and their priests… but I question their choices. Making deals with that thing." Thamiezel says.

Alice clenches her fists in anger, trusting her emotions in the presence of the two guards.

"He's a monster. Cares only for himself."

"He does not have much power, though." Zelestra says.

"He doesn't… but he's to blame for this bullshit."

"But that is the cursed Thamiezel." Thamiezel says.

"Tham… Dipper, whatever he calls himself… I hated him for a long time. Killed me and my kids. Burned the planet down… but I remember what he lost… I remembered he lost everything. He's a mad dog that needs to be put down, I won't argue with that. But Bill Cipher is the one who made him that way. I'd like to get my hands on that stupid triangle."

"You believe Paradise will return Bill Cipher's powers?"

"If they do or don't, I don't care. I hate that little psycho."

"And what of Thamiezel's sister?" Zelestra asks. The twins snicker in their thoughts, acting like immature children.

"Her?... no idea. She's… different. Abraham says she's manipulated by her brother. That he's warped her mind with spells and promises… but I don't think so… I think she knows exactly what her brother has done and simply doesn't care."

"I wouldn't say that she doesn't care… I believe she wants to stop suffering. To help others. And watching how mad her brother had become. Seeing him succumb to darkness. I believe her standing by him is the only way she knows how to help him. To try and salvage what's left of his spirit." Alice's son replies.

"I doubt there's anything left to salvage, Jeff."

"Why did Paradise not help him?" Thamiezel says.

"Huh?"

"They could have stopped all of this chaos. He was simply a lost soul before he changed. But they left him. Allowed his mind to erode until he only wished to harm others."

"Paradise… they…"

Alice loses herself in thought. She has often questioned the decisions of her realm. The seeds of doubt had already developed before the meeting.

"What I don't understand is who helped him?" Jeff says.

"What do you mean?" Zelestra asks.

"He was a mere dream demon. But then he had a physical form and great power. Something must have aided him."

"I don't know. Perhaps a demon of Inferno gave him his powers."

"Maybe, but maybe not." Alice says.

"Why do you say that?" Thamiezel asks.

"Inferno… I've heard a bit about them. They're crazy. They probably want to destroy our world. But they aren't dumb enough to do it with a war. By breaking the treaty. They want to just suffocate us. Slowly convince everyone in Heaven that it's all shit and they leave. Then God is left unprotected. A war would probably destroy both sides…"

"But what better way than sending a prophet of sorts? Allow Thamiezel to bring others under the rule of Inferno."

"… before he changed, he helped me on this issue we were having. Gravity Falls, my home city, was being attacked. Vampires, werewolves, and spirits were rising up. And the more we fought, the worse it became. Like an undead version of the ten plagues."

"Ten plagues?" Thamiezel says.

"This story. God punishes a nation for keeping his children as slaves with plagues that get worse and worse. It was like that. Just more and more powerful undead creatures. But they didn't even know why they were showing up. Like something was drawing them to one place and they didn't even realize it."

"What does this have to do with Thamiezel?"

"There was this book or journal. Someone gave it to Thamiezel before the creatures rose up. And after he went to throw the book away, the creatures stopped showing up. Except I don't think he threw away the book. I think he made a deal with whoever wanted it."

"Perhaps. But I doubt that there is some unseen force controlling everything. Most likely a powerful demon was stirring and didn't want Heaven to know he was breaking the treaty. There are many demon princes and no true king. Perhaps one of them was trying to gain an advantage over another."

Thamiezel wants to turn Alice's gaze away from the truth. He knows how dangerous his master can be. He can even feel the eye of Dracul searching the world they dwell upon, as if he knows someone might be close to the truth.

"_I really have to learn how he does that._" Thamiezel thinks.

"Well, we should be going. Keep this to yourselves. Don't want your religion finding out." Alice says.

"We know. We keep our doubts to ourselves and trust in the Lord above, even though his servants may yet falter."

Alice rolls her eyes, letting Thamiezel know that she does not even trust Yaltabaoth. The twins wait until Alice and her sons are already walking away before they begin following her. The twins implant false memories within the puppets, leaving with no trace of their presence.

"_So my brother, what now? This hasn't taken as long as we had thought."_

"_Well then, we could simply watch these hilarious mongoloids shamble about while cursing their imperfection in their thoughts."_

"_We've already done that. Come now, let's find Waddles. Maybe he's ready to come back."_

The twins leave the mighty cathedral and return to the forest. Waddles lies sleeping in the middle of a giant crater. The woods around him have been incinerated, leaving a dead wasteland. Thamiezel and Zelestra approach the ruined land with amused smiles.

"Hello again." Thamiezel says. Waddles eyes dart open, and the great dragon awakes.

"What did you do?" Zelestra asks.

"There was a small creature. It kept hiding in these holes in the ground and sticking its head back up. Almost like it was taunting me. So I burned everything and went to sleep."

"Well then, we should be going. There are some issues we must attend to."

Thamiezel creates a sphere of fire around the three and takes them back to Cul-Cerberon. Thamiezel and Zelestra part with their dragon and return to the tower. They enter a chamber hidden deep below and fortified with powerful magic, preventing their thoughts from being easily heard by others.

"We should find another location. Don't want to make it too easy for little Bill." Thamiezel says.

"But then we would leave this world undefended. The angels might come and massacre them."

"But Abraham is expecting us to leave, so he will leave this world alone. He has a mission and he's sticking to it. He holds the creatures of the night to lesser stature, but he is not a butcher. He won't come against this world. And if the Esylions come again, then Waddles can destroy them. The main question is how Bill managed to find you."

"I believe I know. There was a prisoner held some time ago."

"No, that was me."

"What?" Zelestra asks, laughing at her brother.

"Yeah, I had no idea where you were and I wasn't going to waste my time searching the entire universe, so I just started asking around until someone found me."

"You… you let them torture you… until your body was broken."

"It felt… tingly." Thamiezel says. He wiggles his fingers at the memories of the sharp pain that tore through his body. Zelestra smirks at her brother's masochistic strangeness.

"Which means Bill found me another way… Perhaps he has simply been looking all this time."

"That could be… when he found out the angels were searching for you, he decided to make a deal with them. He could not be easily detected when we were weaker."

"So it's settled. Pack your bags, we're moving."

"I have no bags to speak of."

The twin demons laugh together as they return to Waddles, who is currently busy being mesmerized by a television.

"This… is a beautiful device."

"It is, isn't it?" Zelestra says.

"My friend, Waddles. We are going off world. Feigning a retreat. We are leaving you here to help guard the planet. If Esylios invades, I want you to help defend Cul-Cerberon. Unless it's absolutely necessary, I would like you to keep your true power in check. I want them focused on finding my sister, not on the ancient unstoppable dragon."

"As you wish."

Thamiezel and Zelestra return to their shapeless presence. They fly past several planets before landing within the citadel of one of their worlds. They wait within the deepest chambers for Bill Cipher's return. Thamiezel's dark grin fades into a small frown. He allows the façade of his evil to fade in the presence of his sister.

"Mabel… do you believe my soul is… broken?"

"…cracked, but not shattered."

Zelestra approaches her brother from behind. She wraps him in her arms, holding her hands over his heart.

"Dipper… my Dipper. I will stand with you. I will stand with you no matter what comes against us. I will not lose you again… I love you."

"I love you too, Mabel. I love you."

"If we are to wait… then let's sleep. Perhaps in our dreams you might find peace."

Thamiezel creates hundreds of tendrils that cover the room and hold the twins away from the hard ground. Thamiezel and Zelestra fall asleep, waiting for their enemy to begin his search. Their minds drift into shared dreams, wandering the infinite dreamscape and living through happier times. Days they lived in peace and days they might have had if Thamiezel had not been robbed of his humanity. Within their dreams, they are happy. Yet Thamiezel keeps his mind aware of the real world. Keeps his thoughts focused on hiding the twins, but not so greatly that Bill Cipher will lose track of them. The twins slumber for many days, drifting through their dreams.

At Cul-Cerberon, Waddles begins the defense of the planet. The armies of Esylios, desiring to end the presence of the creatures they consider filthy and sinful, have begun an assault on the planet against the wishes of the angels. Waddles flies alongside the descendant species of dragons, covering the sky in fire and ruin with the aid of goblin warships. And far below, a lone specter searches for the twins. He finds that they have fled from the planet, so he begins drifting towards the other worlds that the empire of Thamiezel has conquered. He wanders as a harmless spirit past guards and spells, far too weak to be considered a threat by any of them.

Within the dreamscape, Thamiezel and Zelestra wander the old town of Gravity Falls. They dwell within the peace of their dreams, taking in the familiar landscape. Thamiezel sits with his sister outside the Mystery Shack, watching various memories play before the twins. Thamiezel enjoys watching his twelve year old self help his great uncle in the Mystery Shack while Wendy sits at the counter, humming in boredom. Zelestra watches her children play together in one scene and watching her son's wedding in another. She drifts to her days with Greg, her husband.

"_Greg… I wonder if he has forgotten me."_

"_If his love is as devout as yours, he will not allow Paradise to bind his memory."_

"_I hope… I hope so."_

"_Do you… do you still love him?"_

"_Of course."_

"_But are you still in love with him?"_

"_I… will not lie. I have desired his presence again. To feel the warmth of his skin. To hold him in an embrace."_

"… _You shall be with him again."_

"_And you trust me to remain devoted to you?"_

"_Devotion is for the realm of light. I trust you to hold us both in your hearts. If you desire to love another as you love me, I will stand with him as an equal."_

Zelestra smiles warmly as she cups her brother's face. Within the Mystery Shack, the young Dipper is trying to lift a heavy box up onto a shelf to impress Wendy. His small, weak arms drop the heavy box, spilling its contents out onto the floor. Thamiezel watches as his great uncle begins to laugh. Thamiezel smirks at his younger, naïve self as he laughs along, trying to play it up as a joke with Wendy. She herself begins laughing along, but something is wrong with the memory. Dipper, Stan, and Wendy all begin laughing with the same robotic, stilted laugh. All the memories around them begin to be infected with the same insanity. Greg and Zelestra's children begin laughing psychotically. But their faces have distorted in pain, as if they're on the verge of screaming and crying in agony. Thamiezel and Zelestra watch as the memories' eyes begin burning and melting. The liquid blood from the eyes begins travelling down the laughing bodies and towards an area before the twin vampires. The bodies fall lifelessly as their laughing ceases, but the laughter of the twins' old enemy begins to take its place. The blood turns bright gold as it reforms before the twins into the shape of a triangle. The dream world explodes into a greyed out version of the Mystery Shack, and Bill Cipher floats before the twins.

"_Hi Guys! Did you miss me?!"_

Thamiezel begins clapping, amused at the dream dweller before him.

"_It has been too long… and it has not been long enough."_ Thamiezel says. Zelestra, however, is not willing to play games. She destroys the dreamscape and places the three in a white void.

"_I… will show you the true meaning of torment."_ Zelestra says. Bill Cipher sticks his hands up in surrender.

"_Hold on! Hold on! I actually didn't plan on, you know, driving your bro kookoo banana pants! I just wanted to knock him down, break the circle sucking away my power, then beat him within an inch of his life while making you watch!"_

Zelestra prepares to devour the dream devil and drag him into the realm of Dracul. But her brother stops her, smirking in amusement at his ancient enemy.

"_Bill Cipher. You found us again. You win a prize."_

"_Ooh, I like prizes! What is it?"_

"_A head that's always screaming."_

Thamiezel creates a disembodied head, screaming in agony, and tosses it to Bill.

"_Hey! I already gave you this! It's not a prize! It's a gift return! And this is my routine! I'm going to SUE!"_

Bill Cipher's eye turns bright red as he finishes speaking. He creates a mock court room, filled with a jury of laughing Dipper sock puppets. The judge is a sock puppet of the twins' great uncle, and Thamiezel and Zelestra sit on the left side of the courtroom while Bill Cipher floats above the plaintiff's podium.

"_How does the jury find the defendant?"_ the sock puppet Stan asks.

"_Guilty!"_ the Dippers scream in unison.

"_I demand an appeal! Bill Cipher is a monster! A deranged animal who stole my life and sanity! And he smells like butts!" _

"_That may be, but you are a plagiarist. The worst form of crime and sin."_ the sock puppet of Stan says.

"_Then I protest! A hunger strike!"_

Thamiezel's physical form withers away, seemingly starving to death in protest.

"_There… that'll show 'em."_ Thamiezel says weakly.

"_ENOUGH!"_ Zelestra shouts, obliterating the dream world yet again. Thamiezel and Bill hover in the infinite whiteness, giggling like deranged children. Thamiezel floats over to Bill Cipher, still smiling psychotically.

"_You know Bill… I was ready to destroy you…"_ the demon king says. His form becomes darker and menacing as he continues to speak.

"_I was ready to consume you and subject you to horrors that not even your mind could withstand. To put you through the same memories of war that destroyed me! To make you feel the cacophony of the greatest battle in the cosmos! Which the mere knowledge of is capable of shattering one's mind into thousands of pieces!"_

Thamiezel's form grows as black as night as he towers above Bill Cipher, with his voice sounding as a fury of thunder. But Thamiezel returns to his human form and grabs Bill in a one-armed hug.

"_But then we had our little chat… and Bill, I forgive you."_

"_Gee, thanks. And what's this about a battle?"_

"_Care to have a gander?" _Thamiezel asks, opening his mind and allowing Bill to see the beginning of the war. Bill Cipher's form explodes into piles of golden rectangles, clattering together before reforming.

"_Ow… just. Just ow! How the hell did you survive that?!"_

"_Very carefully."_

"_I see that. Honestly, that's impressive. Not even yanking your chain. That's… that's something. But enough about the past… I'm here because I want a small… _favor_ of sorts."_

"_You are already working with the angels."_ Zelestra says.

"_Wait, how?"_

Zelestra and Thamiezel morph into the shapes of the Esylion guards before returning to their original forms.

"_Ah, I thought those fellows were acting a bit stiff. Well, more than usual for those weirdos. But anyways, you were found, yes. And the Esylions knew where you were. And that was me. But, and this is a big but here."_

Thamiezel begins laughing. Bill Cipher realizes what he said and begins to join Thamiezel in giggling.

"_Ah, butts aside, the angels were going to go after you themselves after that meeting ended. They. would. have. won. But then a certain Esylion commander, sleeping peacefully, was visited by a vision! A vision from God himself, telling the little warrior that he is tasked with finding the queen and bringing her back! Him and only him! Plus, you know, an elite force of his own choosing."_

"_So, you planned to stab them in the back from the start."_ Thamiezel says. His sister remains as a dark shade, ready to destroy Bill at a moment's notice.

"_Yep! I mean, you can trust a demon to fuck with you. But you can never trust an angel. You can never tell if they're being honest or just stupid."_

"_And why should we trust you?"_ Zelestra asks.

"_You don't have to. You can just go kill those angel jerks by yourselves. I see you've gotten a huge power boost. But I think you'll want my help."_

"_I would never have your help."_

"_Don't be so sure about that!"_ Bill says in a sing-song voice. His golden body changes into the memory of Zelestra's family together, playing with their mother. Zelestra glares at Bill. If he had a mouth, he would be smiling now.

"_So, what do you desire in return?"_ Thamiezel asks.

"_It's quite simple. I just want my old powers back. You know, portal opening, mind controlling, planetary level reality distorting. The whole shebang! In return, I get those dopey angels to get your family out of that boring place and bring them all here!"_

"_And what will you do with your powers if they are returned to you?"_

"_Don't know. Any vacant planets I can have?"_

"_None. But you can have Esylios."_

"_Eck, Yuck! Why would I want those 'no fun allowed' jerks?"_

"_Same reason you wanted humanity. After all, what is the point of having a theme park without the staff? Just imagine it. Bill Cipher Land. Come one, come all, to the greatest show in this world and the next. The theme park where you are likely to die, and then be back next Tuesday because of how much fun you had."_

"_Hmm… okay! Deal!"_

Thamiezel and Bill Cipher shake hands. The Faustian devils seal their bargain before Bill Cipher leaves.

"_Remember kids! Reality doesn't exist! You're both trapped in a coma! Invest in stocks and bonds! Byyyyyyeee!" _

Thamiezel and Zelestra awake from their dream. They watch as the presence of Bill Cipher leaves them.

"Do you think we can trust him, my brother?"

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. If he betrays us, he still has no concept of our true power. Nothing he does can harm us, Mabel."

"Then where shall we wait?"

"We must prepare our forces. This world will be our stronghold against the angels. A seemingly last, desperate stand against them."

"Then let us burn some angels!" Zelestra shouts with manic glee.

Zelestra and Thamiezel prepare the final stage of their plan. They begin fortifying the planet against the angels. They call powerful vampires to stand guard with them as they build up their fortress with arcane magic and powerful shields. The twins wait for Bill Cipher to summon the angels again.

Several days later, Alice Pines and Abraham return to the Esylion council chambers. They begin the preparations to summon Bill Cipher. They call out for the name of the demon, summoning him to their world. The council falls into a deep dream-like spell as Bill Cipher returns to them.

"_Hey, it's a bit early for our weekly meeting, isn't it?" _

"_Demon, have you discovered the location yet?"_

"_I was going to tell your space priest here in his bed again. What's the change?"_

"_An Esylion spirit has escaped the wrath of Zelestra. He said his master received a vision commanding him to attack."_

"_So what? You're the guys who work in mysterious ways. I mean, how can you blame a guy if he confuses mental illness with a genuine visit from the big guy upstairs? You're the ones who should be medicating your soldiers."_

"_Our species is cleansed of sin. We do not need your vices."_ the head of the church says.

"_Yeah. Keep thinking that, space pope. Anyways, they're hiding on Zelestra Planet Nine."_

"_What?"_ one of the guards says in confusion.

"_Apparently he renamed a bunch of his planets after his sis. Ain't that adorable?"_

"_You will be coming with us for the assault." _Abraham says.

"_Assault? That is probably… going to backfire."_

"_Why?"_

"_Thamiezel is back. For realsies. Kind of got a power boost too. You won't be able to kill him head on."_

"_Then a spell of binding will be used against him."_

"_Alright. But still, you're gonna have a hard time getting his sister back if you try and screw with him."_

"_What do you mean?"_ one of the priests asks.

"_Well, it's just her brain is all 'Ooh, my Dipping Stick! Ooh, my bro-bro!' I think if you don't want any… collateral damage, you're gonna need to break that hold on her wee brain."_

"_Then she will be returned to Paradise and freed."_

"_That's probably not a brilliant idea. You've seen how she is. If she thinks her bro-friend is in trouble, she's liable to just up and follow him down to Hell. And Heaven knows how hard it'll be to get her back then."_

"_So… you believe only her family will save her mind?"_

"_Probably. I mean, I don't know how her crazy brain is gonna work. She's still human deep down. But you can try. Just a whole slew of otherworldly visitors. Like A Christmas Carol where the ghosts are all family members. So, you know, annoying _and_ terrifying."_

"_And why are you willing to help us so much?"_

"_BECAUSE HE STOLE WHAT'S MINE!" _

Bill screams as he towers above the dreamscape, glowing dark red. The dream world thunders and quakes as it falls apart. Bill then returns to his normal form and coughs slightly.

"_Sorry. Got a bit of a temper problem ever since that jerk Pine Tree screwed me over."_

"_Then let's finish this meeting."_

"_Okay, sure. Just give me back my powers."_

"_Not yet. You will travel with us to the planet. Once Mabel is safely taken back, you will be restored."_

"_You love to tease a guy, don't you Abe? Fine, I'd like a body please. Just, you know, a puppet to possess."_

"_You shall have one given to you."_

"_Who's the sucker?"_

"_An unclean guard. She has been harboring sinful thoughts. She is to be punished for her insolence." _one of the council says.

"_Alrighty then!"_

The dream world crumbles away. The angelic forces awaken and begin the preparations to assault Thamiezel's stronghold. They send the high priests away as Bill's host body is dragged in. The pitiful guard has been flayed and beaten for her sin, and dark markings have been engraved upon her head to force her mind open for Bill to possess. The guard shakes and convulses as Bill Cipher takes control. The body leans up and begins to walk around, giggling maniacally. Alice Pines watches in anger and disbelief, knowing that this mad demon was their ally.

"Wow. Nice and scaly! Like some reptile thingy! And freshly pealed, too! How did you know that this was my favorite feeling?!"

"Enough." Abraham says. The two angels begin to open the gateway to Paradise.

"Alice, you must go and bring a host of angels. They will be needed to help bind the vampire's power."

"Yeah. And bring your mom and dad too. And your kids. It'll be fun times for the whole family."

"Bill Cipher, fuck off." Alice says before leaving. Bill Cipher laughs in amusement as she ascends to Heaven.

"Wow, she's a real dame, that one. Not that I'd like to, you know, violate her with many tentacles."

"Your perversion knows no bounds." Abraham says in an insulting tone.

"Aw, gee. Thanks. I love you too."

Abraham and Bill Cipher begin assembling the Esylion forces. The angels and their allies assemble the entirety of the planet's offensive armies. Millions prepare to attack the vampiric twins. Far away, Zelestra and Thamiezel wait on the planet for their plan to come to fruition. They sit within their throne room, waiting for the angelic forces.

"So, my brother, tick tock."

"Goes the clock. Forever and ever… I wonder what the old spirits thinks. Those spirits who are billions of years old. If they are affected by the passing of the ages or if they simply become numb to time."

"I don't know. The dragon seems to be rather cheerful, even though his brethren are all gone."

"True, but he has slept for many years… I wonder what the others believe."

"… there are many who we have lost. Some to death, and others to a parting of ways."

"Parting… if we are to be infinite, then that means we are likely to part one day."

"… but there are constants in this universe, my dear brother. There has always been light. And there will always be darkness. Order and chaos. Perhaps there are those who are the same. People who never part. Constants together."

"…maybe… maybe we are."

"I would think so. After all, you invaded Paradise to bring me back and reformed your mind from a horror I doubt Bill Cipher could withstand… I believe you are my constant, brother. You and creatures named Waddles."

"It… is time. They are approaching."

Thousands of Esylion ships, shining in the sky like stars, begin appearing above their world. The vampire's armies take to the sky to meet with their enemies. Thamiezel and Zelestra move as a dark cloud to join in the battle. Zelestra takes on the form of a fallen angelic being with hardened, scaled skin. Thamiezel moves as a great vampire bat, cleaving his way through hundreds of enemies with his claws. He assaults one of the Esylion ships and begins dragging it down towards the planet. The burning ship levels hundreds of trees as it comes slamming into the ground. Thamiezel tears into the ship and begins killing the Esylion soldiers before they can mobilize.

The warships of Esylios begin appearing all around the planet, preventing anything from fleeing. Each part of the fleet is commanded by a powerful angel, brought forth to battle the vampires should they try to flee.

"This will be a glorious battle. These filth will be destroyed." an angel says triumphantly. The dark queen hovers before the ship and smashes her hand through the glass, grabbing the angel and crushing him.

"Destroyed? You will not harm this kingdom. You will not defy the will of Thamiezel."

The angel begins glowing brightly, shattering the hand that holds him. Zelestra cries in anger and pain before fleeing. She flies to the underside of the ship and begins ripping it open. She tears in from the bottom, killing countless Esylions and destroying the ship's core. The damaged ship begins falling towards the city. The creatures that live below have begun to flee deep underground to try to escape the battle above. Zelestra sees several stragglers and goes to protect them. She stands between the escaping creatures and the damaged ship. The great warship crashes into the ground and begins sliding towards the queen, destroying hundreds of buildings as it moves forward. Zelestra grabs the front of the ship and forces it to a stop. The angel and his soldiers move out to assault the hidden queen. Her demonic form lashes with her other hand towards the angel, but he simply unleashes a wave of light with his holy blade, carving Zelestra's arm in two. The queen is joined by several hundred dragons directed towards the ship by Thamiezel. The angel attempts to fight off the force, but he finds himself overwhelmed by the dragon's fire. The angelic form melts under the weight of flame and dark magic, and the angel's spirit attempts to flee. Zelestra devours the broken spirit, adding its power to her own.

"Burn them. Destroy them. Rip them apart. This world will not fall to these worthless creatures." Thamiezel shouts. The hectic battle continues as the dark host battles with all their might. And from within the dark tower, Thamiezel and Zelestra sit as they command their avatars into battle.

"My brother, how long will this battle go on?"

"Our commanders have orders to fight and retreat. They will not risk everything knowing that the battle is not the goal."

"Yes, but you do love to fight."

"I know. But today, I will hold back my indulgence. We have more important matters."

The angelic forces begin landing on the surface of the planet as the demonic horde pulls back. The armies of Thamiezel appear to be shattered, and the surviving demons flee underground. Alice and Abraham walk out of one of the ships with their mad ally, who giggles while watching the aftermath of the battle. Alice caries an orb of heavenly light. The orb is a gateway to her bloodline's place in Paradise, and will allow them to be brought before Zelestra.

"My master, the demons are fleeing. Thamiezel and Zelestra have not appeared." an angel says to Abraham.

"Then uproot their caverns. When you find their hidden location, you will bring us there."

"Well, last I checked they were somewhere below that big tower over there. I'd check there first." Bill says.

Abraham and his forces begin to march towards the dark tower in the center of the city. The Esylion forces approach from all sides, preparing to destroy the tower and reveal the siblings. The twins sit within the throne room at the top of the tower. Thamiezel waits for the Esylions to enter the fortress. Many Esylions and their angelic commanders go down into the depths. Thousands enter the darkened caves, searching for the dark lord. Abraham keeps his angelic gaze upon the lower tower and the deep caverns, searching for any disturbances. He gazes upon strange spells and markings in Tartarian, a spell seemingly designed to conceal any within.

"Wow. Can't believe they haven't been found yet." Bill Cipher says.

"Do you think they fled, Abraham?" Alice asks.

"No… no, I would have sensed their shadows… but... I cannot see anything… the tower is empty below."

Abraham turns his gaze towards the top of the tower. He focuses his sight, penetrating the dark barriers and protective spells. And he finds the twins waiting. He turns his gaze back towards the caverns and focuses towards the minds of his forces. He suddenly realizes that the spells and rituals in the caverns below are not there to protect anyone within, but to destroy them.

"Get your forces out of there! Retreat now!" Abraham orders. It is too late. The dark runes and spells crack open. Deep below the caverns, a great fire erupts in the tunnels. The fire swerves and crashes into the angels and their forces, bathing them in dark fire. The demon of flame takes the angels for its own and drags them down to its own part of Hell, ready to devour their souls and become more powerful. The entity erases the army and the dark portal that summoned it disappears.

Abraham and Alice burn bright with anger. They take their remaining soldiers and begin to march up the tower.

Thamiezel and Zelestra sit upon their throne, waiting for the angelic warriors that have come to destroy the demon. Thamiezel grins as Abraham and Alice enter the empty fortress with their demonic ally. They march up the tower, ready to end the reign of the vampiric ruler. Twenty angels, each as powerful as Abraham and Alice, walk alongside their commander.

"Welcome to my humble abode." Thamiezel says.

"Your days are over." Abraham says.

"You think I will let you destroy me? You think I will let you take my sister again?!"

"You stole her from her family. You destroyed her purity and violated her love with her husband."

Thamiezel charges in blind anger. The angelic forces combine their might, ripping apart Thamiezel's dark form and forcing him back to his throne. Zelestra stands and prepares to aid her brother.

One of the angels steps forward, approaching the throne with several armed soldiers. Thamiezel recognizes the angel before him. He laughs through pained wheezing, apparently damaged by the angels.

"You… Alice… such a silly name for an angel. Michael, Lucifer, Gabriel, and Alice. Sounds boring, doesn't it? Much better suited for my realm."

Alice ignores Thamiezel's demeaning offer as she takes the orb out. She whispers a command in the language of the angels, and the orb of light begins glowing brighter. The orb's view flies through the fields of Paradise, past the ethereal angels and towards the bloodline of the Pines. Thamiezel and his sister watch as her family begins appearing in the room like ghosts. Her parents, her grandfather, her children, their children, and all her descendants going down to Alice's mother.

The twins' parents approach the throne. Their mother stands, crying, as she sees her daughter apparently chained and manipulated. Thamiezel attempts to strike them, but the angels again throw back the demon. They keep him to his throne while Zelestra approaches her family, seemingly overcome by her memories.

"Mother."

"Mabel. You have to come back. Get away from that monster."

"Monster… do you not recognize him?"

"…what?"

"Show her who he truly is." Zelestra demands. She returns to her throne and sits by her brother, who has been reduced to a weakened shadow with glowing red eyes.

"I… Mabel, he's a demon. He doesn't care."

"Mabel, come back." the twins' father pleads. Another shade steps up. The twins' grandfather stands before Mabel, trying to convince her to step off the throne.

"Mabel, please. You have to come back."

"Tell me… Stanley Pines… what is the name of my son?"

"Stanford."

"And where is Stanford Pines?" Thamiezel asks. The question confuses the twins' grandfather. Yet he seems to lose himself in thought as his lips tremble in sadness. Their grandfather is on the verge of remembering his lost memories before the veil of Paradise returns with Abraham's aid.

"You will not bring pain to them." one of the other angels says. Thamiezel laughs as his body is restored, revealing his increased strength. He turns towards the angels and begins to speak, insulting their existence.

"Do not insult me with your façade of piety. Look upon this wretched claim of virtue. The angels would steal the memories of their slaves while abandoning others to decay and the realm of Inferno. An act of cowardice from a broken throne. Their authority is false, their god a half-witted liar, and their promises as empty as their love."

Thamiezel's words are not simply directed at the spirits. He is speaking directly to Alice, goading her into throwing down her allegiance to Heaven. Another spirit approaches, attempting to convince Zelestra to abandon her brother. Zelestra recognizes her husband's form as he approaches her throne. She looks down, feeling her heart ache for her family.

"Mabel, please… come home."

"Greg..." she says with a whisper.

"Mabel… do you remember? Stan and Bella need you."

"Mom, please come back." Bella says.

"We love you… I love you." Greg says.

"Aw, such a happy reunion!" Bill says.

"And who are you?" Thamiezel asks.

"Come on, kid. You know me! It's your ol' pal, Bill Cipher!" Bill says with a twinkle in his eye.

"Bill… you maggot."

Far away, the angels have finished creating the portals. The thresholds that will cut apart and seal away Thamiezel's power.

Zelestra stands and walks down the steps of her throne. Even with her crimson, burning eyes her kindness shows through. She walks forward and kisses Greg, holding his face to hers. The forces of Paradise prepare to take her back to their realm before she returns to the throne, forcing the angels back with her power. She looks down at Greg with a stern gaze.

"What?" Greg whispers.

"Stand by me." Zelestra whispers.

"What… you have to come back."

"You would have me chained? My powers burned out of me as my mind forgets all those I have lost?"

"Mabel… don't."

Thamiezel grows angered as he drifts off his throne and approaches Greg as a dark shade. Thamiezel fades into a cloud of smoke as he moves towards his prey.

"You claim you feel love for my sister? What is the value of your heart?"

The angels prepare to attack the undefended king before his sister moves forward, combining into a shadow with her brother that moves around Greg.

"Greg, I love you. Come now, stand with me again."

"Listen to her. You claim to love her, and you shall have your love returned. We shall stand by her, together."

"I love you, Greg. I always have and I always will. Please."

"Enough!" Abraham shouts. He forces the vampires back with a wave of light.

"You will not corrupt him with your poisonous words."

"Poison?" Thamiezel says, laughing at his opponent.

"I am the dragon, Thamiezel. I am a butcher. A monster. A demon. But I am not a liar. Do not insult me with comparisons to lesser demons."

"Hey! I take offense to that!" Bill shouts.

"You are all the same. Mad dogs, screaming in the dark." Abraham mutters.

"You seem to think you know me."

"I've killed Dracula before, and I shall again. You are the same as him. Monsters who threw away your humanity because you couldn't bear the weight of a human life."

Thamiezel's laughter begins growing. He all but screams as he cackles madly with his voice sending quakes through the dark tower. The world shakes and trembles with the insanity of its ruler before it dies down, reduced to pitiful giggling on the verge of tears.

"You… you think I threw away my humanity?... Tell me, lesser angels, did your master Abraham tell you what I am? My humanity was stolen from me. I was cursed. Forced to become nothing more than a mind floating amidst the living forever. Neither a soul nor a creature of flesh. I was imprisoned. And as those I loved died one by one, I asked. I prayed. I begged. I wanted death. I wanted it so much. But I couldn't die. I lost everything."

Thamiezel changes his shape into the dark form he had as the dream demon. His eyes are yellow with black slits and his ears are long and pointed. Thamiezel begins walking towards Abraham as he continues to speak. Abraham allows Thamiezel to approach, trying to draw out the minutes so that he can take command of the portals and unleash their power.

"And after I had nothing, this world still demanded I give more. I was not given the gift of death, nor the peace of sleep, or even all the vices of the universe. I! Had! Nothing! Do you know how old I was when everything was taken from me?!"

Thamiezel's body changes again. The angels stare in horror as Thamiezel reverts to the body he had when he was last human. A small boy in a red shirt with a black sleeveless jacket stands before the angels, sobbing weakly as blood drips from his eyes.

"Why? Why did you do nothing?" the twelve year-old asks.

"Sheesh, kid. You have some issues." Bill says. His puppet has begun to rot and fall apart from blood loss. Abraham walks forward and kneels on one leg, seemingly sympathetic.

"Please…" Thamiezel wails. Abraham is ready. The spell that once bound Bill Cipher has been recreated by the angels. Abraham takes out his holy blade as burning chains encircle Thamiezel, binding the demon and preventing him from changing form. His great power has begun to seep away from him, draining out of the tower and into the portals around the planet. Thamiezel screams in pain, driving his enemy's minds into despair. They cannot stand the sight and sound of the young boy's cries of agony. His power drains into the portals, leaving the broken boy crying and yelling. Abraham pierces the blackened heart of Earth's destroyer, ending the cries of pain. The vampiric lord coughs up blood, falling to the floor. Zelestra begins crying at the sight of her brother's dead body. Her tears and sobs pierce through the minds of the angels, sending the lower beings past the point of hopelessness. The spell of Zelestra is meant to force them to feel her pain. To utterly break their will to fight. Alice drops the orb in despair as she falls down, a great sadness eroding her mind. All of the angels fall to the floor in sorrow, grabbing and tearing at their heads to try and keep away the sadness. Abraham is the only one unaffected. He steels his heart as he approaches the throne. But the tears of Earth's queen begin to burn through the stone floor. Her voice becomes the sound of thunder as the floor begins to shake.

"You… should not have done that." Zelestra says with a low growl.

"Mabel?" Greg says with a fearful voice.

"I am Zelestra. I am the Lady in Starlight. I am not yours to constrain. And you foolish angels will regret challenging our power."

Zelestra's voice burns with hate, but she remains on her throne, seemingly broken by her brother's demise. Abraham prepares to capture the weaker vampire.

"Alice, retrieve the orb."

Alice stands up as her angelic light returns, attempting to summon the strength to fight against the sorrow forced upon her mind. She shakes her head, banishing the thoughts of sadness. She turns around to find the lone, bleeding Esylion holding the orb in his hand, tossing it up and down like a ball.

"Now then. Funny thing about this orb. A mini dimensional gateway to Paradise. I think you need this. You need this?"

"Hand it over." Abraham demands.

"You want this."

"Hand it over!"

"Give me my powers and you get it back."

Alice walks towards the mad demon, preparing to torture the lowly spirit.

"Give it back or I'll kill you."

"You're not going to give me back my powers, are you?"

"You can escape with your mind intact, or you can hand it over." Abraham says.

"Wow. Not even going to give me some bullshit excuse, like, 'Ooh, the power was in your heart all along!' or 'You are forgiven. That is all we promised!'"

The two angels approach Bill as he stands by the balcony, tossing the orb up and down over the edge of the tower.

"Kill me? You won't kill me, I'll kill me!"

Bill hurls his puppet off the tower as he holds the orb. Abraham flies after the body and grabs it, taking Bill and the orb back up to the tower. He throws the possessed body at Alice's feet. He leaves Bill to be destroyed by Alice as he holds the orb. He looks through, ready to reopen the gateway to Paradise. But something is wrong. The image of Heaven fades and the portal begins to be corrupted by a dark cloud. A strange spell in the room begins playing a song.

"What the hell is this?" Alice asks.

"It's Bee Gees Stayin' Alive, you uncultured swine." Bill says. Alice looks down at the puppet as he giggles deviously.

"You know… I had a feeling you guys wouldn't keep up your end of the bargain… that's why… I'm not here to finish my deal with you."

Abraham turns towards Bill as he abandons the puppet and flies towards the throne, hovering with Zelestra. The shadow on the orb vanishes to reveal where it is now connected. The orb does not reveal the fields of Paradise, but instead passes through a dark realm filled with billions upon billions of souls amidst a crimson, murky horizon.

"What have you done?!" Abraham shouts. Bill Cipher laughs maniacally. Bolts of electricity begin shooting through the tower and circling into Bill Cipher's spirit.

"It's funny how dumb you are! See, I'm not the kind of guy to hold a grudge. And neither is my pal, Pine Tree. So those funny little portals of yours? Now they're giving me an energy boost! Like coffee, but for ancient mind pyramids!"

Abraham and the angels watch in horror as Bill Cipher's powers return. He takes on the form of a large, golden pyramid. The pyramid hovers in place, laughing triumphantly. The orb begins to burn Abraham's hand. He clenches his wrist while trying to wrestle back control of the gate. Great storms of fire and light appear in the image as a demonic entity growls with anger. The image of the orb becomes engulfed in fire. A great void opens within the flame, appearing as an eye. It glares at Abraham as the angel attempts to let go of the orb, but the corrupted object is frozen to his hand.

"He… is here." Zelestra says. A dark voice whispers throughout the room in ancient tongues as the eye looks upon the angelic spirit.

"I told you… you should not have harmed my brother." Zelestra says with an angered growl as a deep laugh echoes throughout the room. Abraham takes a blade of heavenly light and cuts his own arm off. The angels watch in horror as their commander flees from the balcony, abandoning them. A shroud of crimson mist shoots forth from the ground and covers the tower in a tornado of blood. The remaining angels are cut off from their escape. Thamiezel's voice begins speaking to the remaining warriors.

"Do you want to know, my friends, exactly what is coming? You are far out of time. …now, nothing you do can harm me. And even if I was destroyed, you cannot stop him. He is coming for all of you. Heaven, Hell. You shall all burn."

"Show yourself!" Alice shouts.

Thamiezel reappears in the room and approaches the remaining angels as the music ceases. The angelic force prepares to fight as Zelestra's family moves to the edge of the balcony. A great tremor shakes the tower as great, fiery wings emerge from Thamiezel's back. The wings grow until they encircle the remaining angels, while Thamiezel's body becomes a great shadow. He marches forward, appearing as a star with an infinite darkness in the center. Glowing yellow pupils are all that remains of Thamiezel's original body, sitting in the center of the black abyss.

"Greg, Alice, since we are to be living together, let's discuss our… hobbies, our interests… and a few of our favorite things."

The angelic horde charges, preparing to battle to the death as Thamiezel begins humming A Few of my Favorite Things. Bill Cipher joins in, creating a white flute that begins playing itself. Thamiezel begins to sing his dark desires.

"Billions of faces all carved up with knives.

Seeing tenfold more all burning alive.

Hearing my slaves giving praise and singing.

These are a few of my favorite things."

Thamiezel is pierced in the heart by a blade of light. The weapon that he once fled in fear from is now powerless to harm him. The blade rots and falls off as black tendrils shoot out from the void. A great maw splits apart in the shadow beneath the eyes of Thamiezel, appearing like a mouth. The angels are impaled upon the tendrils as the blinding white maw opens wide, allowing Thamiezel to consume the angels. Others manage to dodge out of the way of the initial onslaught and attempt to strike the tentacles, but the dark appendages simply reform, unharmed by the angels as Thamiezel continues to sing.

"Ruling forever with my cherished sister.

Paradise silenced with nary a whisper.

Burning angels and tearing out their wings.

These are a few of my favorite things."

Thamiezel's vines encircle the angelic beings, binding them and suffocating them in darkness. They scream in pain and terror as the tendrils dig through their angelic skin and beginning ripping off their wings. Angelic light and blood spill from the wounds as their wings are gouged out and thrown to the floor.

"Heaven above shall fall into darkness.

Inferno below will crumble to madness.

Both of them felled before my great king.

These, my friends, are my favorite things."

Thamiezel's tendrils shoot out by the hundreds as they begin covering the room in shadows. Alice creates a shield of light around the two remaining angels and Zelestra's family, protecting them from the all-consuming blackness.

"The Lord will answer our prayers! He will not abandon us to this evil!"

"Don't lose faith. This mindless demon will be conquered by Heaven's glory."

"Why is Mabel helping it?!" the twins' father shouts.

"You don't get it." Alice Pines says. The other angels turn towards her as she begins to realize the futility of fighting back.

"He's not of Hell. He's found something else. Dracula… He calls himself Thamiezel Dracula. These monsters are not bred from the pits of Hell. They come from something else, greater than Inferno. There is no hope fighting this."

Her protective barrier fades and she surrenders to Thamiezel. The torrent of shadow dissipates as Thamiezel approaches. The last two angelic warriors charge, but Thamiezel effortlessly crushes them into crimson mist with his mind. Thamiezel returns to his vampire form.

The orb rises from Abraham's blackened, burnt arm as the eye of fire continues staring at Alice. It knows that she has finally discovered the meaning of Dracula. Thamiezel steps back and looks into the orb, staring into the eye of his master.

"The father, the son, and the jerky spirit." Thamiezel says in amusement.

"Am… am I the father? I'm confused." Bill Cipher says.

"No, no. I am the son, you are the spirit… and my master is the father."

The orb floats through the air as the great eye bears down on Alice's mind. Her children attempt to attack the corrupted orb, but the mere specter of Dracul is powerful enough to break their will to fight. They fall to the ground lifelessly.

"What are you?" Alice asks in fear.

"I am Dracul. I am the Order of the Dragon. And you know my purpose. You cannot be allowed to leave my realm."

Alice stares in horror at the dark eye as Thamiezel walks over and looks at her.

"Don't worry, it isn't so bad, although that may be my Stockholm Syndrome speaking. And Zelestra will give it a bit more zest and life once we've conquered Heaven and Hell."

Alice stares at Thamiezel, confused, angry, and shocked.

"Why?"

"Why what? Why ally with an ancient unstoppable god who could free me from my pain? Or why help Bill Cipher, the demon who caused said pain?"

Thamiezel seems to abandon his malice and insanity in favor of a pleasant and kind friend.

"I mean, I thought those boys above told you about the power of forgiveness. And who better to forgive than Bill here?"

"Yeah, what he said." Bill replies. Zelestra silences the demon's voice with her power. She may have been allied with him, but she did not need to listen to him at the moment. The Eye of Dracul turns towards its servant.

"Hello again." Thamiezel says.

"You summoned me when a portal to Paradise was near."

"Because I knew you would cut it off. Prevent anyone from using it. I needed that gateway sealed, so I wouldn't lose these fun spirits floating about."

"Who are these spirits?"

"Zelestra's family. It worked. We won."

"Your power. It is far greater than I last saw."

"I found something. The hundred slayer, it was called. A machine built by your friends from the beginning."

Dracul looks into the memories of Thamiezel, unaffected by the insanity of the war.

"Did you fight in that great battle?" Thamiezel asks.

"I declined. If you desire to keep these spirits with you, then so be it."

Dracul vanishes from the orb, allowing the tainted sphere to fall and shatter on the ground. Alice stands in front of Zelestra's family.

"So, welcome to the Order, Alice. We'll have lots of fun together. Oh, and Zelestra? Could you hand over Bill for a second?"

Zelestra allows the talkative demon to hover over to Thamiezel.

"If you want to have fun, there's some stragglers outside. Oh, and I wouldn't reveal Dracul to anyone. He'll know instantly and he isn't the kind of guy you want to piss off. No sense of humor."

"I see that. I'll catch you later. Sorry about the whole 'driving you batshit' thing." Bill says before leaving the tower. Zelestra stands from her throne and walks towards her family. She meets their gaze as they stand, frightened of the dark rulers.

"Alice Pines… the last of my bloodline. You know the errors of Heaven. How they discard those they claim to care for. Serve with us, not as one of Inferno, but as a servant of the Order."

"You saw that thing. He's insane."

"He just needs a visit from three ghosts to give him Christmas cheer." Thamiezel says.

"He… is our best hope. That is the truth." Zelestra says.

"I… no. I'm done fighting."

"Very well. But you will not be allowed to leave."

"I know. I know… Thamiezel… where is my husband?"

"Oh… I don't believe I ate him…"

"He… he isn't in Heaven… I thought you…"

Alice feels a dark vengeance fill her heart.

"They lied… they let Inferno take him."

"Then… will you join with us? To take them back? The ones who have been left in the Nine Hells?" Thamiezel asks.

"…yes."

"Excellent. Welcome to the Order of Dracul."

Thamiezel lets out a sliver of his dark power. The power shoots forth into Alice, changing her form. She becomes an entity of light and shadow, with her angelic powers combining with the darkness of the vampires.

Zelestra and Thamiezel walk past Alice as she looks over her transformed body. With their power, the twins return their family to their human forms and restore their memories.

"Come now. Won't you thank your dear uncle Dipper?"

"What… what have you done?" Greg asks.

"We gave you back your humanity with none of the defects. None of this sickness and health. Simply health! Come now. I thought you said you loved my sister? Do you truly despise her if she holds another in her heart?"

"Stay away from me."

Thamiezel rolls his eyes as his parents walk up.

"What… Dipper?" his mother says. She sees her son, clad in a tuxedo and eyes burning with monstrous evil, and begins crying.

"It has been far too long, mother." Thamiezel says with a smirk. The twins' father steps up as he begins to realize that Dipper Pines is the dark king Thamiezel. The one who took Mabel from Heaven and made her into the vampire Zelestra. The one who lay with her in thralls of lust and love.

"You… what have you done to her?" he says with a disgusted gaze.

"Nothing she did not allow." Thamiezel says as his eyes glare towards his father, sending the human back in fear. Zelestra approaches her husband and children.

"Greg." she says. She walks over and cups his face, bringing him close.

"I love you, Greg. I still do."

Her husband backs away in disgust and shame.

"Greg… don't you love me?"

"Your… your brother."

Zelestra turns her gaze away in shame at the rejection. Tears pour from her eyes as her husband backs further away, looking at her with disgust and judgment as he realizes she was not manipulated by her brother, but willingly walked into his embrace and slept with him. A dark growl echoes throughout the room as Thamiezel steps towards Greg.

"My dear sister has offered her heart to you and I together, but whereas I accepted it gratefully and knowing I must stand with another, you have thrown it aside. Tell me, what tiny vows did you make to my sister?"

Thamiezel's eyes burn red with anger as he continues to speak.

"You promised that your love would be one, constrained to each other and no one else. I would love her as one of many, knowing she is greater than all the souls who she favors. You claimed you would serve your tiny god together. I would have that blind idiot thrown into the infinite void and the spheres of Heaven cast down, kneeling before my queen. But what is your love worth? Nothing. Worm. Maggot."

Thamiezel's smiles cruelly as he continues to insult Greg, who backs away in fear of the dark king.

"Coward I name you. An insignificant, selfish shambling pile of garbage. Cursed with losing everything by his own hand."

"Enough, brother." Zelestra says as her husband falls to the floor, cringing away from Thamiezel.

Thamiezel's voice goes silent as he returns to the shadows. Alice sits on the balcony, looking out into the damaged world with her children.

Zelestra walks towards her family and lifts her hand to her daughter's face. She smiles at her children as she drags them into an embrace.

"Mom?" Bella says.

"It's me. I have you again." Zelestra says happily.

"Your brother." Stan mutters. Zelestra lets go of her children and looks into Stan's eyes.

"He… he is more than my brother… I love him as I love Greg… it is not a normal love, but it is mine… do you really hate me for my choice?"

Stan looks at her and goes silent, not knowing how to react. He backs away in fear at his mother's madness. Zelestra sighs in sadness as she approaches her grandfather. He sobs weakly as he remembers his own twin.

"Where's my brother? And my wife?" he asks.

"They are part of Inferno. But we will not abandon them to that fate. That is my promise to you." Zelestra says. She kisses him on the forehead in reassurance of her vow. Bill Cipher reappears before the tower. The pyramid is now far larger than the entire top of the building, stretching out for hundreds of feet. His eye stares through the balcony at the family.

"I hate to interrupt this touching reunion, but Abe seems to have brought backup."

Thamiezel watches as the Esylion survivors converge on the tower with the aid of the remaining angels. Thamiezel rolls his eyes in disinterest.

"Boring."

Thamiezel looks up to the sky to call out with his mind.

"What are you doing?" Bill asks.

"Calling Waddles."

"What?" the twins' mother says.

"No. The other Waddles. Waddles the Second."

Zelestra's family and Bill look at Thamiezel in confusion as the ships begin their assault on the tower. Bill shrinks in size and moves in to avoid the angels' attacks.

"Wasn't Waddles, like, a goat or something?" Bill says.

"A pig. I wonder where animal spirits go. I guess we'll have to go invade Pig Heaven next."

The twins' and their family watch as a dragon silhouette appears to come from the moon.

"Ah, there he is." Zelestra says.

"A dragon? Not too impressive." Bill says. But his eye bulges wide in shock as the image of the dragon continues growing. It is blocking out the light of the stars and the moon by the time it reaches the planet.

The dragon flies through the air, destroying the enemy ships with its body and sending many others crashing into the ground with a torrent of wind. Alice watches in horror as her angelic allies emerge in a feeble attempt to battle the unstoppable dragon. Thamiezel and Zelestra float with Bill Cipher as they watch the destruction and mayhem. With their family returned, Zelestra leans into her brother's side. Yet her smile is bittersweet, knowing her family does not share their love for her anymore. Greg rocks against a pillar, driven to despair by his loss. The three great demons Thamiezel, Zelestra, and Bill ignore the terrified family in favor of focusing on the battle.

"Bill Cipher. I believe this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Thamiezel says. He shakes Bill's hand as Waddles slaughters the angels above the planet.


	3. Victory Party

Abraham flees with his remaining angels towards Esylios. He holds his severed arm as he retreats towards the top of the great cathedral and meets with the high priest.

"Welcome, Abraham the Victorious." the priest says with a bow, believing that the war has been won. But Abraham's eyes reveal the truth. The horror of Thamiezel's true power.

"Summon every last Esylion here."

"It will leave the other worlds defenseless."

"Are you questioning me?!"

The priest bows in apology to the angered angel. He rises back and meets with Abraham, whose eyes glare with rage and terror.

"Yes, my master. The will of God shall be made."

"Every last one… I will not leave this to chance."

Abraham prepares the entire host of Esylios to attack the ancient dragon that obliterated the heavenly forces. He waits as the hours pass and the entirety of the armies of Esylios fly above the world. They prepare their most powerful weapons for the battle against the dragon of Thamiezel. One of Abraham's angels walks forward.

"My Lord… your arm…"

"This… this is very powerful evil… Thamiezel is far stronger than I had known… and he has an ally in the demon world."

"There has to be a way to kill him."

"We will. We will destroy that mad dog. And we will find the demon that would dare violate the treaty with Paradise. This will not end in defeat."

As the full might of Esylios prepares for war, a small shuttle appears in orbit around the planet. The Esylion forces aim their weapons at the ship, preparing to fire. But they see an angel descend from the ship. Abraham keeps his men ready for battle as the angel descends towards the tower. He sees his pupil, Alice Pines, come into the council chambers.

"Alice. You survived."

"Yes…"

"And what of your children?"

"They are safe… and I am here to negotiate."

"What… what are you talking about?"

Alice removes the façade of being a lowly angel. She reveals that she has the combined powers of her angelic body and the vampiric blood of Thamiezel. She is a demon of light and shadow.

"What have you done?"

"Abraham. You will return to your master and tell him this. This galaxy belongs to Thamiezel and all galaxies that surround this one. If any angels come against him, he will kill them and the worlds that ally with them. The hands of death will not be able to take the souls to Paradise and they will be dragged down to Hell."

Abraham takes his angelic blade and prepares to strike. He swings overhead at Alice Pines. Her arm reaches up and blocks his attack. The weapon evaporates against her touch.

"These are our terms."

"How dare you."

"You say your god is infinite… but if that were the case, then Thamiezel would never have suffered. My husband would not have been claimed by Inferno. Your god is a liar and a coward."

"No. These are my terms. We will not bow to a madman. Now begone!"

Alice returns to the ship above. Abraham prepares his forces for the great dragon. But he sees another presence far above. Thamiezel gazes down. His throat glows with an unnatural yellow, breathing sulfur and ash out of his mouth. Abraham gives the order to attack. Thamiezel creates a large barrier. The entirety of the Esylion force unleashes their power on the shield. Thamiezel floats with his sister within the barrier, appearing to be sitting on an invisible throne. He yawns in boredom as the lights and lasers strike his power. To the twins' right floats a giant, golden pyramid. Bill Cipher stares at the explosions, oohing at the sight of the different lasers splashing out against the shield. To the twins' left sits their dragon ally.

"Such pretty colors." Bill says.

"They are, aren't they?" replies Waddles.

"So, Pine Tree, what are you waiting for?"

"Well, I couldn't afford a firework show, so let's enjoy this sight."

"They'll be shooting for a while."

"No, they'll realize soon enough how hopeless this is."

Thamiezel waits as the minutes pass. The barrage of fire continues with no end and Thamiezel becomes bored of the spectacle. He weaves his dark powers through the Esylion home world. He moves his hands around like a conductor in an orchestra, and then he clenches his fists. The firing comes to a stop.

"What did you do?" Alice asks.

"Dismantled every single weapon at once. Now they should listen."

Thamiezel waits as the Esylion battleships begin to leave the planet. They begin to home in on Thamiezel's position, preparing to ram him in desperation. Thamiezel rolls his eyes as Abraham leads the final charge against the demon.

"Oh, to hell with it."

Thamiezel freezes the Esylion force in place. He lifts his pointer finger to the sky. A small sphere of energy forms atop his finger. Abraham continues charging with the last of his angels. But the sphere atop Thamiezel's hand begins to grow. It grows to hundreds of feet in diameter, and the angels come to a stop before the demon. The gigantic star blinds the Esylion forces with its brightness.

"Abraham? You probably never learned what this is in the nineteenth century. Science wasn't as advanced as it is now. Let me give you a lesson. This is called a supernova. When stars die, they may unleash a wave of energy powerful enough to kill all life in the surrounding solar systems and sometimes even a galaxy. This supernova is the latter. I could easily make another of it. So my question is, will you surrender?"

Abraham realizes just how powerful his enemy has become. His light fades and he sends the Esylion forces back. Thamiezel retakes the energy of his star back, holding it within his body. The other angels return to the tower, leaving through the gateway to Heaven. Abraham turns to the dark ruler as he smiles down at the angel.

"I accept defeat."

Abraham and the Esylions surrender. Thamiezel takes Abraham away in chains while he steps foot on the Esylion capital. He dances along the streets victoriously with his sister and Bill Cipher, kicking his legs and spinning in circles. Thamiezel stops, his long coat swinging in the wind as he turns towards Bill Cipher.

"So, ready to start building your theme park?" Thamiezel asks.

"Yeah. So which of these jerks can I have?"

"The priests, mostly. They're the least fun and could use some cheering up. The rest I'll take off world. Right, sis?"

"Yes. And Remember, Bill. No permanent torture. Everyone gets two days a week off for a break. And the crazier shit rotates members so they only end up there one day a month."

"Alright, Shooting Star. You strike a hard bargain, but I do sort of owe you for driving your brother quackadoodles."

The Esylion civilians are taken off world to be enslaved by Thamiezel's empire. The remaining soldiers and high priests are taken to the surface. Bill Cipher begins to warp the fabric of the universe on the planet. The atomic structure of the grand cathedral begins changing. It becomes a bright, golden pyramid in the image of Bill Cipher, glowing and crackling with electricity. The buildings bend and warp with the power of Bill Cipher's mind. The steel is distorted into deranged roller coasters that go into the sky before falling down for miles. A trap door opens up to allow the coaster to enter the second part of Bill Cipher's mad creation; a long, winding path filled with spinning blades and buckets of liquid steel, which dump on the coaster. After the dark pit, the coaster shoots back up, passing by a target range that will allow others to try and shoot the people on the coaster. The ride continues, swerving and jerking chaotically before coming back towards the rails. A switch that activates at random intervals is placed to drop the rails and send the coaster careening into the distance towards a minefield.

Bill Cipher bends the Esylion world to his own mad creations, turning the planet into one giant amusement park that can maim, torture, kill and drive people insane, forcing them to relive their darkest moments and greatest fears.

"You like it?" Bill asks Thamiezel.

"Wonderful. I will have to try it out sometime. But for today-"

"We party!" Zelestra shouts. Thamiezel giggles with his mad sister and Bill. Thamiezel claps his hands together. As he opens them, a portal spreads out from his fingertips. Thamiezel beckons Alice and Zelestra towards the portal. He steps in with his family and the twins reappear on Cul-Cerberon, leaving Bill to begin spreading the knowledge of his designs. Thamiezel and Zelestra wander up to the tower where their family has been taken after the battle with the angels.

"I wonder what they're all talking about, Zelestra."

"Let's find out, brother."

The twins reappear in their throne room, which has become a cacophony of madness. The twins' parents yell and cry, their grandfather mumbles to himself in the corner, and Zelestra's children argue with their father and their own kids about the insanity that is occurring. But with the twins' reappearance, the family's attention turns to them. All go silent with the reemergence of the vampires. Thamiezel bears his demonic fangs with a hellish smile. He creates a wine glass filled with blood and lifts it up.

"A toast. To the reunion of the Pines family."

Thamiezel drinks the blood and throws the glass aside. The glass shatters against the ground as Thamiezel hovers backwards to his throne, keeping his crimson gaze upon his family. Zelestra walks towards them and smiles weakly.

"Get away from him." her father whispers.

"Father… he is mine."

"That… that isn't love…"

Zelestra growls with anger as she approaches her father. Her voice sends tremors through the tower.

"Love… you want to know what value his love is?... thirty two years… he was shattered and broken for thirty two years. Trapped within nothing, overwhelmed by the madness of a war that dwarfs the conflict between Heaven and Hell. And it was his love for me that brought him back. Listening in the void, the fragmented remains of my brother rejoined at the calling of my voice."

Zelestra meets her father's eyes, snarling in his face.

"So tell me, father. Is your love for mother or me strong enough to do that?"

The twins' father retreats at his daughter's rage. She hovers back towards her throne. As the twins take their seats, several vampiric servants walk into the throne room. They carry several large tables and at least a hundred chairs, brought for the bloodline of the Pines to use. Many goblins walk in carrying various menus and glasses of water. The large party is set for the family, with a staff of hundreds of creatures waiting to serve the newly revived humans. Thamiezel and Zelestra lift their two iron thrones and move them towards the tables. The thrones fall to the ground with a loud bang.

"I see you called our friends ahead of time, sister."

"Of course. One should always prepare for a party."

The family looks at the twins in shock and confusion. Zelestra looks across the large table to them, a seeming infinite distance between the twins and their family.

"Well, come on!" Zelestra beckons.

The large group, not desiring to anger the queen, takes their seats on the table. Greg attempts to sit far away from the twins with his kids. The twins' parents also stay at the other end. Zelestra groans at her family's hesitance.

"Ugh, no, no, no. This isn't how we sit!"

Zelestra binds her family to their chairs and lifts them up. The empty chairs next to the twins hover in the air and Zelestra switches the seats around. To her right side sits Greg and her children, keeping their eyes down in fear. To Thamiezel's left sits the twins' parents, confused and terrified and broken. Zelestra claps her hands and a puff of smoke explodes at the ceiling. The smoke dissipates to reveal several colorful decorations and paintings of the twins and their family. A large sign hangs overhead reading "Welcome Home!"

"Your skills are as wonderful as ever, sister."

"Thank you."

The goblins hand over the menus to the weary family. They stare in confusion as the twins take menus for themselves.

"So, I was thinking of ordering the roasted pork… with a side of mashed potatoes." Zelestra says.

"That is a good choice, sister… hmm, I want one of the classics. Chicken fingers with barbeque sauce."

"Ooh, that's also good. Want to split?"

"Alright."

Thamiezel and Zelestra hand their menus back to the goblins. The family is silent and broken, utterly baffled by how casual everything has just become. They simply stare at their menus, wondering what to do. Thamiezel smirks at his family's hesitation before speaking.

"Go on. They aren't going to bite. Goblins and vampires are surprisingly polite fellows when not being hunted to extinction."

The twins' father stares at the menu and mumbles to himself.

"I… uh… the… burger?"

"How would you like it made?" one of the vampire's asks.

"Uh… well done… with ketchup and lettuce… and pickles…"

"And what would you like to drink?"

"The… the coke."

"Classic or new? Just joking, new coke is banned under penalty of a dance off with Queen Zelestra. The loser has to wear a dunce cap for a week."

The twins' father scratches his head. The vampire takes the menu. Another vampire looks towards the twins' mother.

"I… I'll have… the smoked salmon in lemon sauce."

One by one, the twins' family orders their meal, mumbling responses towards the vampire servants. Alice looks over the menu and turns to the vampire at her side.

"Just get me some whiskey and a shot of vodka. And some French fries."

She stares into space in disbelief. The twins snicker at Zelestra's descendant, who moans in irritation.

"So, when are we going to get my husband back?" Alice asks. Thamiezel turns to her and responds.

"We'll have to wait a bit. Only angels of death have free access to either dimension, and I scared most of them away some years ago. Don't worry. He's probably in the first circle or second, which are basically just nonstop frat parties with fighting and ripping off limbs."

"And if he isn't in those two?"

"Well, he didn't piss off any powerful demon lords from the Malebolge, did he?"

"No."

"Then he'll be fine. Besides… Inferno is a very dangerous place. We'll need to prepare. Find a way to access the higher circles without pissing off any ancient demon kings. Which will be difficult for me, since I've disrupted the balance of power down there."

"Lot of people will want a piece of you."

"I know. In hindsight, I should have prepared my tyrannical conquest a bit better. Iron out a few details, try not to blow up a few planets."

"You… you're mad." the twins' mother murmurs.

"Greetings Captain Obvious! Have you seen my mother around? She was here just a minute ago."

Zelestra giggles at her brother's joke as the servers return with the food. Alice takes a sip of her drink and finds it has no effect on her.

"Shit angel body. Can't even get drunk."

Zelestra hears her descendant's complaint and fetches a waiter.

"You, get Alice one of them there supernatural drinks. You know, the stuff that could kill a mortal?"

The waiter leaves to retrieve Alice's beverage.

"Really? There's, like, demon beers?"

"Yes. And there's even things that can knock us around, although I'd never try it."

"How come?"

"Well, if mortals get too tipsy they knock over a table. If my brother and I get too tipsy, we knock over a planet."

"Spooky." one of the vampire waiters replies.

"Indeed, Gregory. Now, do we have any music?"

"Oh, yes. Sorry, my lady."

Gregory goes to turn on the music. A nice, delicate piano solo begins playing. Gregory changes the station to Zelestra's favorite; a compilation of music from the eighties and nineties. The waiter returns with Alice's beverage. Alice takes her drink and begins sipping the supernatural beer.

"This… this is my music." Zelestra says happily. Bon Jovi's You Give Love a Bad Name begins playing.

"Yes. I love this song, sister."

"It is the best. I wonder where Bon Jovi is now?"

"Probably the second circle, getting it on with Lady Lilith."

"If she knows what's good for her, she'll treat them like royalty."

Zelestra and Thamiezel giggle as they begin eating their food. Thamiezel moans in delight as he bites into a chicken tender.

"You know, there's one thing that never changes no matter how powerful I become. This is one of the best foods ever."

"Indeed it is, brother. Along with cake, pancakes, and pizza."

"Ooh, I should have ordered a small pizza. Oh well, I guess next time."

Thamiezel and Zelestra laugh together as Alice looks towards them.

"So, I have to ask, what is Hell like?"

"Don't they teach you anything in that happy go lucky place upstairs?" Thamiezel says.

"Not much. They're afraid we'll leave, probably."

"Well, here's the gist of it. Nine circles of Hell, and they get wackier the farther down you get. First and second circles are run by the saner demons. Torture is more weird sadomasochism and sex stuff than horribly ripping souls apart, and most of the spirits from our world that have a love of vice end up there. Third and fourth circles, you start getting more powerful demons. Psychopaths who make deals with mortals. Most are backstabbing tricksters."

"Sounds _so_ familiar."

"Rude. Well, beyond that we have the fifth and sixth circle. Now, I'm a powerful fellow right now, not to brag. But these guys? They are dangerous and powerful beyond all measure. Most aren't able to be summoned, and the ones that can be are liable to just devour the local galaxy. Seventh circle is the city of Pandemonium. Whoever sits there is the most powerful demon lord. Current fellow is named Pyriphlegoth."

"Where's Lucifer and his pales?"

"They've lost their power. Pyriphlegoth ripped Beelzebub apart, who claimed control after the fall of Saturn, who took over after Lucifer was banished, who seized control once Cocyton got his ass kicked, who claimed Hell from Amon the Hidden One, who stole the throne from Tartarus."

"… you lost me."

"Long story short, the dudes in charge all killed each other for power."

"And… just… my head hurts."

"No, that would be your alcohol acting up."

"Yeah… strong stuff."

The twins' grandfather looks at the drink curiously. Zelestra notices his desire.

"You want some? It'll hurt like hell since you're still a human, but you might survive a sip."

"No… no thanks."

Stanley Pines sighs, remembering his twin that's so far away.

"Don't worry. I promise. We'll get him back." Zelestra vows.

"Yeah… what happened?"

"Pardon?"

"You… we stopped Bill…"

"Yes… but many things have occurred since then."

Zelestra looks towards her drink. She lifts up her cola and sips it.

"Still… this is better."

"N… no… how?" the twins' father mutters. Zelestra's gaze shifts towards him, and he averts his eyes.

"How? Because if we were united in Heaven, then Inferno would rise to claim that world. We would be thrown into a war we couldn't even begin to understand. And we would be destroyed… it is better this way. At least we are on the winning side."

"What happens if you start losing?" Alice asks.

"Well… our master aided my brother. So I suppose we will simply help out where we can and try to turn the tide."

"Lot of loyalty…"

"You seem surprised." Thamiezel says.

"Didn't take you for loyal. More of a mad dog."

"Well, he saved me… in a weird, roundabout way. And he is the best alternative we've got. The Children of the First are gone, sick and weary of this universe and its wars. The First Evil was so vile his own servants cursed him. There isn't even a name for that… thing. As if everyone who ever knew of him was afraid that speaking his name would summon him back from the void. My master is someone you should never cross, but at least he won't torture you forever."

"So, we've got shit, crap, and piss to choose from. This is insane."

"Indeed."

Zelestra takes one of the chicken fingers while Thamiezel takes a bite of mashed potatoes. He moans in delight at the fluffy texture and the gravy. The twins' mother takes a bite from her salmon before speaking again.

"And… where is Gran?"

"Grandma? She is probably near Stanford and Alice's husband… what's your husband's name, Alice?" Thamiezel says.

"George."

"Ooh, good name. We have a George too. Well, his name is Georgey."

"Darn it, brother. That's who we should have invited."

"I guess there's always next time."

"I know. How rude of us."

"Georgey?" Alice's son says.

"Yes. Cute little goblin fellow. Married the daughter of one of our trusted servants. Pretty vampire named Arella."

"Married?" Alice's other son says in confusion.

"Yes. Why, did you think our friends were just weird, lustful monsters?" Thamiezel says.

"I… kind of."

"Well, not all of them. Some of them prefer a casual sex group, others go for the more intimate relationship. Whatever works. Surprised humanity took so long to realize that."

"Where are they?" Zelestra's son asks.

"Who?" Zelestra responds.

"The humans."

"Oh. Well, they're around. Kind of. Most of the vampires were human, or descended from them."

"But… are they all gone?"

"Yes… Thamiezel needed to regain his strength, so he sort of… ate them…"

Stan looks down in sadness, realizing that the human race is no more.

"Come now, Stanford the Second. You wouldn't complain if all Caucasians diluted their bloodlines with mixed relationships, would you?" Thamiezel says.

"I, what?" Stan mutters.

"It would be racist. Same thing. Those purity obsessed humans died as they are programmed to do. But the sane ones simply mixed in with us vampires. Now stop being a racist."

Stan rubs the back of his neck as Thamiezel snickers. Alice's kids giggle slightly before going silent, embarrassed by their own casual behavior. After the meal, the twins bring out several couches and large televisions. Zelestra creates a disco ball that hangs from the ceiling. Alice sits on the couch, staring at the T.V. as a green skinned demon with bat wings and horns discusses the news in Thamiezel's empire and the local stars.

"Zelestra Planet Seven celebrates the return of the native elmerk species from their underground mating sites. Several humans have been rumored to have appeared in Thamiezel's empire. Their current whereabouts are unknown. In other news, Bill Cipher has invited The Supreme Emperor of the Empire of the Sovereign Sun to his theme park. The Emperor has officially endorsed Bill Cipher Land as the most fun he's had being skinned alive by giant vegetable peelers. The emperor has officially declared Bill Cipher Land, and therefore Thamiezel's empire, as off limits for invasion. The Star of Telepathy celebrates his eighth century of power in the third circle of Hell. Mammon's lieutenant has ordered one thousand cakes to be directly fed to him by his slaves. Now to James Vandenberg with Sports."

Alice can't help but laugh at the insanity. She covers her face, breaking down in a fit of laughter. Thamiezel and Zelestra dance together beneath the disco ball.

"I always wanted to take you dancing, sis."

"Well now you can. Shake your booty!"

Thamiezel and Zelestra bounce their butts together, much to the discomfort of their family. The twins begin rubbing their bodies sensually before realizing that their family is turning away in shame and disgust. The twins return to the couch, laughing awkwardly. Zelestra moves over to her husband, who shifts uncomfortably in his seat. Zelestra frowns as he tries to move away from her.

"I'm still me inside. You know, the goofy, lovable doofus Mabel? The same weirdo with an invisible bro you fell in love with? It's just, now he's visible and there's more complicated crap going on, like being the twin rulers of the galaxy. And incest."

Zelestra grabs her husband and drags him into an embrace. She begins rubbing his back and doing judo chops on his shoulder blades, knowing that it was his favorite thing after a long day. He continues to be tense, afraid of her madness. As Zelestra works into his muscles, she allows her magic to subtly influence her husband. She sets his mind at ease and allows him to relax. She continues her movement until he has nearly fallen asleep.

"So… Greg… I really need to know… Do you still love me?"

He turns to her on the verge of tears. He sees Mabel, smiling with the face that always assured him that everything would be alright. But he doesn't love her anymore. He shakes his head as he begins to shudder in pain. Zelestra swallows as the tears begin to pour. She moves away from Greg and closer to her brother. Tears of blood pour down her face as she watches the television in silence. Thamiezel embraces her, kissing the top of her head as he cries with her.

"Mabel… it will be alright." Thamiezel whispers.

"Yes… yes, it will…"

Greg steps away from them, leaving his wife. But Zelestra's children sit down next to the twin vampires. Zelestra's lips curl into a weak smile.

"Mom?" Bella says.

"Yeah?"

"I… ugh… I… still love… even after everything… and I'll try to… something."

"I'll try to something too." Zelestra says. She moves over and hugs Bella. Stan looks at her.

"Stan?"

"Yeah… I … I can't hate you…"

Zelestra squeals happily as she drags her kids into a hug. They place their arms on her shoulder, squeezing their mother happily. Zelestra kisses them on the forehead before moving back to her brother.

"You know, Mom… I thought I saw the worst the universe had… ghosts, demons, aliens… but I guess there are still some surprises." Bella says. She turns towards her uncle, who stares at her with an amused smirk.

"If you ever hurt Mom, I'll kill you."

"You'd have to wait in line." Zelestra says. Thamiezel giggles as his sister glares at him with menace and a sadistic grin.

"I'd rip your lungs out and play jump rope with your intestines." Zelestra says with a dark growl. Thamiezel purrs playfully as Zelestra maneuvers around to face the television. She yawns as one of the reporters goes through one of Bill Cipher's attractions. He comes out minutes later with several chunks of skin missing and no eyes.

"That was extraordinarily painful! I'd give it five out of five stars!"

Bella turns towards her uncle.

"How come you took her?"

"Hmm?" Thamiezel says as he turns to his niece.

"You… you came to Heaven and brought her back."

"I… I was alone… but I did have every intention of finding a way to get you all, too."

"And I… I could feel him calling. My brother… I could hear him crying for help… and me being the older sibling, of course I'd come for him."

Zelestra smiles as her eyes gaze up, meeting her brother's.

"But… when did this start?"

"This… I had always had… feelings for him… but it's hard to confront those when your bro's a ghost and you've got kids and a husband."

"And I had always loved her… always thought of her… I thought to leave her above… but… being alone makes you mad… it eats away at your soul until your desperate enough to do anything."

"It's better this way. Dracul will wait until the war consumes both sides. We would have been destroyed or claimed by demons, and Dipper… Thamiezel, would never have been able to help us."

"This gamble of mine… I am glad it did not come back against me."

"You played a dangerous game, brother. But I suppose us Pines always have."

Zelestra leans onto his shoulder and spreads out along the couch. Stan and Bella lean into her and yawn, tired of the insanity. The family enjoys the small remnant of normalcy. Alice Pines walks over to see her ancestors. Zelestra looks up and waves.

"So… we've got several vacant houses near the outskirts of the city. Figured you and your kids would want a place. We'll get you more permanent residence elsewhere."

"Yeah… you owe me. Both of you."

"I know. Sorry about the whole 'killing you' thing." Thamiezel says.

Alice charges and punches Thamiezel in the face, sending chunks of meat and teeth flying. The gap in his face twitches and squirts blood. Thamiezel reforms his face and smirks at Alice.

"Is that better?"

"It's a start. I'll see you later."

Alice motions for her children. The three angels fly towards the outskirts of the city. Stanley looks out of the balcony, staring into space while contemplating his insane life. The twins' parents walk over to him.

"You look young, Dad." the twins' father says.

"I know. I wonder if Stanford's got young looks. I'll… it's just… now what?"

"Don't… don't know…"

Stanley walks over to the twins with their parents coming in behind. Thamiezel looks up as Zelestra changes the channel to a Duck-tective rerun. Zelestra stretches as Thamiezel speaks to his family.

"There's a small mansion several blocks out. Gregory and Felicia are waiting by the entrance to the tower. They'll take you to your homes. There's a whole line of them for you and our descendants. All… one hundred seven of them."

"Wh… when?"

"Just now. I can manipulate reality on a galactic level."

Thamiezel and Zelestra sit as their family slowly leaves to begin their new lives as part of the empire. Stan and Bella snore peacefully, having fallen asleep leaning next to their mother. Thamiezel looks towards the family he once protected.

"_Sister. I vowed I would bring them back. Now I will protect them."_

"_And you will not stand alone, brother. Never again."_

"_Thank you… I am sorry I robbed you from your family…"_

"_You should be. But you can make up for it. Help us now. And soon, we will find a way to rescue those in Hell. We will not abandon them."_

"_No… Thamiezel and Zelestra, united against the cosmos."_

Zelestra creates two soft beds with readily made blankets. The twins lightly take Stan and Bella's bodies and set them down on the beds. Zelestra lifts the blankets up and tucks her children in. The twins return to their throne and sit down. Another presence enters the throne room. Abraham is taken before the twins by several vampire warriors.

"Why have you brought him here, brother?"

"I wanted to speak with him."

Thamiezel allows Abraham to be freed. He restores the angel's arm and looks upon his enemy.

"Why have you freed me?"

"Because, unlike the Esylions, you are a soldier. You have a code."

Thamiezel creates a table with three chairs. Thamiezel and Zelestra move over and sit down.

"Please. Sit." Thamiezel says. He forgoes his usual madness in favor of politeness and courtesy.

"What do you want?" Abraham asks.

"To meet with you. I once told you I looked up to you… I didn't lie… things just… changed."

Abraham takes a seat across from the twins. He hides his anger behind an iron stare, revealing nothing as to his inner thoughts.

"You said I was a monster… that is true, Abraham. And I play my part gladly… but… there is a part of me that regrets some of my choices."

"And you think that redeems you?"

Abraham's voice is condescending and vicious, while at the same time curious as to Thamiezel's reasoning.

"No. I'm not interested in redemption. Because to change this universe requires action. It requires… necessary evil to defeat the greater evil."

"Your devil will not save this universe. He can only bring ruin to all."

Thamiezel smiles weakly. He shows the years in his eyes, not hiding behind a veil of power and arrogance anymore. Zelestra reaches a hand towards her brother. She threads her fingers with his, and Thamiezel looks towards her for reassurance. The twins reveal their shared role as the masters of the galaxy.

"You… you were not controlled."

Abraham looks down, realizing the error he made concerning Zelestra's role.

"I wasn't… I needed you to think that so that I could retrieve my family… did they know?"

"What?"

"When I was here. Could they feel it? That connection. That strength between people who love one another."

"They could… but not as strongly as yours. I remember hearing about you. When it was discovered you were taken. Your mind rebelled against the bliss. Why could you not accept it?"

"Because I could not accept the pain my brother was bearing. I would not allow that false paradise to blind me any longer. Disgusting world."

Zelestra's voice has become dark and commanding. Her eyes glow with anger at Paradise's offerings.

"Disgusting? Our realm has offered peace and bliss against the evil of the universe. Against the sin of the cosmos."

"Sin… They rob families of their loved ones. They let innocent spirits dwell in sorrow and solitude until they rot… they let my brother fade into this… I thought… when I was dying… and Greg was already gone… that whatever was after death, I could use it to help free my brother… pull him to the other side… help him escape his fate… but then I forgot he even existed… they stole my memories… they let him decay… all I needed to do was go and take him… such a simple task… but they didn't care at all."

"Your brother was not normal. You believe he is the only one who had that pain?... you were always different."

Zelestra and Thamiezel glow with a dark aura, offended by Abraham's words. Their faces scowl with viciousness at his lack of desire to aid others like Thamiezel.

"My pain… no, I do not believe I am normal… there are other spirits out there who have suffered such as I have. Most try to transform their pain into love. They accept their pathetic fate. Watching loved ones die and die and die and die and die and die! Until all life has faded from their sight!... And there are those who have succumbed to their agony. Becoming wandering spirits, ruined and mangled by grief, cursed to become near nothingness… and then there are those like me. We have made our pain into hate. And our hate into a weapon. The strongest weapon in the cosmos. So do not dare think I am of… lesser standing because I choose to change this tainted universe, rather than let others like me continue to rise."

"What?"

"I do not hate the divine simply for what has happened to me. I hate them for what continues to happen. There are more me's created every hour in the cosmos. No one should become like me. No one should contend with the despair that drives me. And a universe that allows those like me to exist should be torn down to the foundations."

"You… are mad…"

Thamiezel grins psychotically. His head lowers and he glares through his bangs at Abraham, eyes glowing with fury and insanity.

"Mad… No. I am simply trying to change things on a fundamental level. Entropy. Life and Death. The walls of creation… these things were not set in stone when the cosmos were made… and thus, they can be reversed."

"You… you will ruin everything!"

"No… things were already ruined when Paradise and Inferno were founded. I am simply changing things back to the way they were. The downfall of your realm is of no concern to me."

"Inferno is no better!"

"Inferno… I like you, Abraham. You are a realist… mostly. But you have found yourself on the wrong side of the board. And you seem to think only two sides are playing this game."

A cold breeze passes through the tower and a fell voice whispers in the room. Abraham hears the voice of an ancient monster, whispering in the tongues of Enochian and Tartarian and languages even older than they. A dark presence enters the chamber. Its footsteps echo from every corner, and an entity of shadow steps into the throne room. The being stares down the angel Abraham, summoned by his servant. Thamiezel stands and begins to recite his vow to the Order of Dracul.

"All the little gods with their angels, prophets, and vassals  
Singing, cheering, and make-believing that bliss in ignorance is just  
While all the little evils with their princes, demons, and devils  
Indulging, succumbing, and surrendering to greed, gluttony, and lust

But all the demons, angels, gods, and devils  
And the kings, the beggars, the princes, and paupers  
With their promises, deceits, speeches, and drivel  
And their boasts, omens, beseeches, and offers

They are liars, perjurers, augurs, and vapid clogs  
They are usurpers, vultures, kvetches, and rabid dogs

They must be cleansed, bound, and torn asunder  
They must be crushed, ripped down, and chained forever

This is the promise, the vow, the desire that binds me  
And the Order, the kingdom of night, my master who guides me  
Who drives me, who spurs me, who will never lead me astray  
Who will rise above the gods and devils at the end of days

This is my oath to you, my Dragon, that binds our paths together  
To lay waste to the realm of the divine and see the gods fall  
And until this oath be fulfilled, and your enemies humbled forever  
I shall stand at your side, and serve 'til you rise above all"

Thamiezel gives a bow to his master. Dracul feels an air of amusement coming over him at Thamiezel's vow.

"You are a very odd servant."

Dracul slides a delicate finger under Thamiezel's chin, who smiles warmly at his master. The two monsters turn towards Abraham, who realizes that Thamiezel's master is not aligned to Hell.

"Abraham… this is my gift to you. I, and Vlad before me, are servants of Dracul. I thought you deserved the truth… unfortunately, it means you can never leave our Order. But we are not monsters. We may behave monstrously, but we are not as corrupted as Inferno. I look forward to meeting you again, before the war that is to come. Goodbye."

Dracul opens a dark hole in his chest and sucks Abraham within. The angel vanishes, taken into the Order. Thamiezel looks to his master.

"I must ask… what was your part to play in the beginning, Dracul?"

"I served who you call the First Evil. It was mightier than all others. It should have brought order to our chaotic existence… but I realized my error after it rose a second time. It didn't desire control. It desired ruined. So I abandoned him… and I rebuilt in secret, rising to oppose the foolish Children."

"Strange. I never heard of you battling the Children of the First on your own."

"I didn't. I desired to show them the error of giving unguided power to the new life. They willingly handed over their power and knowledge to those unworthy. So I walked with the younger children. I told them what they wanted to hear. They willingly became as monstrous as the First Evil. And they challenged my older brethren."

"So… you thought by proving the young life was unworthy the Children would take their place as supreme rulers. Instead most of them vanished from existence, leaving a power vacuum. Oops."

"Yes… that was my second error."

"Well, nobody's perfect."

"Do not insult me."

"I didn't mean it insultingly… think of me as your court jester. I help you realize any possible mistakes by holding a mirror to you. And you know that I am your most loyal servant despite me pointing out any flaws… because I do support you. You are going to unite the cosmos. I see nothing wrong with that. And I, in fact, hope you take control."

"You are strange."

Dracul leaves the universe, returning to his own dark dimension. Zelestra smirks at her brother, who turns to meet her gaze.

"And what is so funny, sister?"

"You and your poems and corrupted songs. You are such an adorable tyrant."

Thamiezel giggles as he embraces his sister. The twin rulers return to their throne and look over Zelestra's descendants, who had slept peacefully through the meeting with the angel and Dracul. Thamiezel and Zelestra smile at their family, the small remnant of their old selves. The twins begin to descend into a deep slumber, waiting for Zelestra's children to awaken.

"_We… we will protect them, my sister. That is my vow."_

"_And I will stand by your side, my Dragon. Forever."_


End file.
